Trump-backed mortgage banker defeats pilot in GOP primary runoff to replace Wesley Hunt

Trump-backed Republican Jon Bonck won the GOP runoff Tuesday for Texas’ 38th Congressional District, putting him on track to succeed Rep. Wesley Hunt in a solidly Republican Houston-area seat.

Bonck defeated Shelly deZevallos, a pilot and president of the West Houston Airport, after finishing far ahead of the March primary field but falling just short of the majority needed to win the nomination outright.

He led the first round with 47.7% of the vote, while deZevallos advanced to the runoff with 18.6%, according to Ballotpedia's results from the early-March primary contest.

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Bonck will advance to face Democrat Melissa McDonough in the November general election, though Republicans are expected to be heavily favored in Texas’ 38th Congressional District, with Cook Political Report rating the Houston-area seat Solid Republican.

The race became an open-seat contest after Hunt, who was first elected in 2022, opted against seeking another House term and instead launched a U.S. Senate bid.

Bonck graduated from Louisiana State University in 2009 with a degree in biochemistry, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is currently a mortgage industry manager in the Houston area.

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Endorsed by President Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Bonck campaigned as a Christian conservative, family man and described himself on his campaign website as "not a political celebrity" but rather a "servant leader." He also touts endorsements from Reps. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, on his campaign website.

In a candidate questionnaire, from earlier this month ahead of the runoff, Bonck listed affordability, immigration and public safety as the three biggest challenges facing the Houston-area district he is hoping to represent.

Meanwhile, he said putting America first "means securing the border, stopping blank checks to foreign countries, cutting waste and regulation, lowering costs, and empowering families."

Bonck also added that government "should get out of the way so small businesses can grow and parents can lead their children’s education and healthcare decisions."