Which sports figures won or lost in the midterm elections? Tracking 7 big names

Throughout the country, a small group of former sports figures traded the field of play for the campaign trail, running campaigns in Tuesday's midterm elections where their sports background -- as players, coaches or commentators -- became a key part of the pitch for office.

We tracked seven high-profile former sports figures to see how they fared in the midterm elections. The first concrete results from The Associated Press came from Texas, where former NFL player Colin Allred won his return to the U.S. House and former MLB first baseman Mark Teixeira joined him.

Later, former Paralympian Josh Turek won a U.S. Senate seat in Iowa and former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya lost a Senate race in Minnesota. And former college football coach Tommy Tuberville will be Alabama's next governor.

A congressional race in Arizona involving former NFL kicker Jay Feely, and a California Assembly race involving former NFL punter Chris Kluwe haven't been decided.

In Texas, Colin Allred wins a spot back in the U.S. House

Allred, a Democrat and former NFL linebacker, will return to the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas, in the 33rd Congressional District, after defeating Republican Patrick Gillespie, a technical writer, in a Democrat-favored district covering Dallas. With more than 95 percent of the votes counted, Allred earned 78.6 percent of the reported vote.

Allred spent four seasons playing for the Tennessee Titans and retired after suffering a neck injury in 2010. Allred worked as a civil rights lawyer before his election to Congress in 2018, when he served three consecutive terms. He unsuccessfully ran for Senate against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in 2024 and launched another bid for the Democratic nomination for Senate in 2025 before dropping out before the primary.

Mark Teixeira wins Texas U.S. House seat

Teixeira, a Republican and former MLB player, will succeed Republican Rep. Chip Roy, who unsuccessfully ran for Texas attorney general, in the state's 21st Congressional District. With more than 95 percent of the votes counted, Teixeira led Democrat Kristin Hook with 54.5 percent of the reported vote.

The 21st district, which includes north San Antonio and southwest Austin, has sent a Republican to Congress in every election since 1978. Teixeira won President Donald Trump's endorsement and beat 11 candidates in the Republican primary.

Teixeira spent 14 seasons in the majors, playing for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels. The first baseman won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009 and was a three-time All-Star. After retiring in 2016, he appeared on ESPN as a baseball analyst until 2021.

Josh Turek wins highly watched Iowa U.S. Senate seat

Turek flipped a seat as a Democrat and defeated Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a former local television anchor endorsed by Trump. With more than 95 percent of the votes counted, Turek had 50.5 percent of the reported vote to 46.4 percent for Hinson. With tight polling and the possibility of the race deciding control of the Senate, the Iowa race was one of the most expensive and highly watched of this election cycle.

Turek is a four-time Paralympian and two-time gold medalist in wheelchair basketball. Born with spina bifida after his father was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam, he has used a wheelchair since childhood. In 2022, Turek narrowly won election to the Iowa House of Representatives, representing Council Bluffs. In the race for Senate, he billed himself as a "prairie populist" focusing on policies aimed at helping the middle class, and was endorsed by former president Barack Obama.

Michele Tafoya falls in U.S. Senate race in Minnesota

Republican Tafoya lost the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota to Democrat Peggy Flanagan, the state's lieutenant governor. With more than 95 percent of the votes counted, Flanagan had 53.7 percent of the reported vote to 43.6 percent for Tafoya.

Tafoya's long broadcasting career included runs at CBS, ABC and NBC, culminating with her work as a sideline reporter for NBC's "Sunday Night Football." She left the network in 2022 to move into political commentary, launching a podcast and Substack. A first-time candidate, she billed herself as a moderate, balancing Trump's endorsement with not aligning herself too closely with the president in a state that has voted Democrat in every presidential election since 1972.

Tommy Tuberville wins Alabama governor race

Tuberville, an Alabama senator, defeated Democratic civil rights lawyer and former Sen. Doug Jones, getting 52.1 percent of the reported vote to 47.9 percent for Jones, with more than 95 percent of the votes counted.

The race was a rematch of 2020, when Tuberville beat the incumbent Jones for his Senate seat. Alabama has not had a Democratic governor since 2003.

Tuberville spent 21 years coaching at Auburn, Mississippi, Texas Tech and Cincinnati. In the Senate, he closely aligned himself with Trump, voting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, blocking military promotions under the Biden Administration and campaigning on anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment.

Jay Feely trailing in race for Congress in Arizona

Feely, a Republican and former NFL kicker, lost to Amish Shah, a Democrat who also has a sports background as a former team physician for the New York Jets, in the race for Arizona's 1st Congressional District. Shah flipped the seat, with the AP calling the race Thursday afternoon as Shah won 52.5 percent of the votes to Feely's 45.4.

Feely spent 14 years in the NFL, playing for the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears. He made five playoff appearances and worked as an analyst and reporter for CBS after retirement until 2025, when he left to run for office. Feely received Trump's endorsement in a competitive district.

Chris Kluwe trailing in race for California Assembly seat

Kluwe, a former NFL punter and Democrat, lost to Republican Gracey Van Der Mark, a Huntington Beach city councilwoman, in a tight race for a seat in California Assembly District 72. According to California Secretary of State data, Van Der Mark had 50.8 percent of the reported vote to Kluwe's 49.2 percent and held on.

Kluwe spent eight years playing for the Minnesota Vikings. As an athlete, he was known for his outspoken advocacy for LGBTQ rights, a stance he believes ended his NFL career prematurely; after Minnesota released him in 2013, he never got another NFL offer. He launched his campaign in 2025 after he was arrested at a Huntington Beach City Council meeting for protesting the council's decision to put a "MAGA" plaque outside a library. The high-profile arrest led to him losing his job as a high school football coach and launching his career in politics, becoming a speaker at Orange County political events before running for office.