Ex-Trump aide Pierson won’t run for Dallas-area House seat

Katrina Pierson, a former top aide to Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns, announced Tuesday she will not run for an open House seat in Texas after she laid the groundwork for a bid.

“I am humbled by the outpouring of support/encouragement of so many fellow Texans, Rep leaders & especially the Trump family! I have decided that I have a greater responsibility to #TakeBackTheHouse I’m not running in TX6, but I’m not closing the door on Congress – stay tuned!” Pierson tweeted.

I am humbled by the outpouring of support/encouragement of so many fellow Texans, Rep leaders & especially the Trump family! I have decided that I have a greater responsibility to #TakeBackTheHouse

I’m not running in TX6, but I’m not closing the door on Congress – stay tuned!

— Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) March 3, 2021

The former Trump staffer had taken steps to run for the House seat in Texas’s 6th District, which was left vacant by the late Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas), who died from the coronavirus last month.

Pierson had been making calls lining up support ahead of the March 3 filing deadline, sources close to her decisionmaking process told The Hill. Five top Republicans with knowledge of her thinking said over the weekend she was planning to run.

In an interview Sunday, asked about rumors she was planning to run, Pierson told The Hill, “Sounds like there are some very informed people.”

“I fully intended on entering the race, which is why I provided a time frame at which I would provide my final decision,” Pierson said in a text message late Tuesday. “I love my state, and I love my country. This was was a very difficult decision to make, but I believe that it was the right decision. There are several other opportunities left to explore.”

Pierson rose to prominence as a high-profile Tea Party activist and ultimately served as a spokeswoman for Trump’s 2016 campaign and as top adviser for his reelection effort last year. She reportedly had talks with a top Republican consulting firm about plans to jump into the race for the Dallas-area seat. 

Her decision to pass on a shot at the House seat is likely a relief for the other Republicans in the field. Sources familiar with her thinking had told The Hill they expected her to get Trump’s endorsement, a major boon in any GOP primary field. 

Among the other Republicans running are Susan Wright, Ron Wright’s widow; Sery Kim, who worked in the Department of Health and Human Services during the first year of the Trump administration; and state Rep. Jake Ellzey (R).

Candidates have until Wednesday to file paperwork to formally run. The special election to replace Wright will take place on May 1.

Reid Wilson contributed reporting.