President Donald Trump brought a mix of Republican candidates, elected officials, Texas Tech University System leaders and former football stars to Corpus Christi and Lubbock on Tuesday, Oct. 27, as he campaigned for Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The two stops featured different groups of Texans. In Corpus Christi, Trump focused on the U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, with former football stars Johnny Manziel and Danny Amendola appearing.
In Lubbock, local political leaders and Texas Tech officials joined congressional candidates and other Republicans onstage as Talarico spoke roughly 3 miles away at the Fiesta Center in Lubbock.
Here's who appeared at the two events and what to know
about them.
Who appeared with Trump in Lubbock?
Jodey Arrington
Arrington is the Republican U.S. representative for Texas' 19th Congressional District, which includes Lubbock and much of West Texas. First elected in 2016, he chairs the House Budget Committee. Arrington is not seeking reelection in 2026, and Republican nominee Tom Sell is running to succeed him.
Dustin Burrows
Burrows is the Republican speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and represents a Lubbock-area district. A Lubbock attorney and former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, he became speaker in January 2025. The speaker presides over the Texas House and helps shape the chamber's legislative agenda.
Don Huffines
Huffines is the Texas comptroller, the state's chief financial officer. A Dallas businessman and former state senator, he was elected comptroller in 2022. The office oversees state revenue estimates, tax collection and payments, and manages the state's financial reporting.
Brandon Gill
Gill is a Republican U.S. representative for Texas' 26th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. First elected in 2024, he is a conservative lawmaker who has supported Trump's agenda in Congress. He is also the son-in-law of conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza.
Mark McBrayer
McBrayer is the mayor of Lubbock. He was among the local officials who greeted Trump on the tarmac Tuesday, shaking his hand before the rally. Trump later recognized McBrayer during his remarks.
Cody Campbell
Campbell is a West Texas oil and gas entrepreneur, former Texas Tech football player and chairman of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents. Trump appointed him to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition in 2025, and he has helped the president address the future of college athletics.
Campbell is also a prominent advocate for changes to college sports, including name, image and likeness rules, conference realignment and the financial structure of college athletics. His business interests and ties to Texas Tech have made him an influential voice in discussions about college football's future.
Brandon Creighton
Creighton is chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, which includes Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and other institutions. Before becoming chancellor, he represented the Conroe area in the Texas Senate, where he chaired the Senate Education Committee. He also served in the Texas House of Representatives.
His background in state government and education policy connects his current university leadership role with the state's legislative debates over higher education.
Danny Amendola
Amendola is a former Texas Tech wide receiver who played 13 seasons in the NFL and won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. Trump introduced him at the Corpus Christi event and praised his football career.
His Texas Tech connection also made him a recognizable figure for West Texas sports fans, where he raised his "Guns Up" to the Lubbock crowd.
Tom Sell
Sell is the Republican nominee for Texas' 19th Congressional District and is running to succeed Arrington. A former congressional staffer and West Texas businessman, Sell has campaigned on conservative priorities, including border security, energy production and support for Trump's policies. He faces Democrat Kyle Rable in the Nov. 3 election.
Ken Paxton
Paxton is the Texas attorney general and the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. He is challenging Democratic state Rep. James Talarico to succeed Republican Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton has served as attorney general since 2015 and has become a prominent figure in Republican legal and political fights, including lawsuits challenging federal policies and disputes over immigration, elections and executive authority. Trump endorsed Paxton in the Senate race.
Charles Perry
Perry is a Republican state senator representing a district that includes Lubbock and much of West Texas. First elected to the Texas House in 2008, he moved to the Senate in 2014. He has been involved in state budget, water and energy policy, issues that are particularly important to West Texas communities.
Ronny Jackson
Jackson is a Republican U.S. representative for Texas' 13th Congressional District, which includes much of the Texas Panhandle and parts of North Texas. Before entering Congress, he served as a Navy rear admiral and White House physician to presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Trump also nominated him to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs during Trump's first term, but withdrew the nomination.
Dan Patrick
Patrick is the Republican lieutenant governor of Texas and presides over the Texas Senate. A former radio talk show host, he has served as lieutenant governor since 2015 and is one of the state's most influential Republican officials. Patrick also appeared at Trump's rally in Corpus Christi.
Marco Rubio
Rubio is the U.S. secretary of state and Trump's national security adviser. The former Florida senator and 2016 Republican presidential candidate is one of the administration's leading figures on foreign policy and national security. Rubio appeared at both events in Corpus Christi and Lubbock.
John Barrasso
Barrasso is a Republican U.S. senator from Wyoming and the Senate's majority whip, the second-highest-ranking Republican leadership position in the chamber. An orthopedic surgeon by training, he has served in the Senate since 2007 and is a prominent Republican voice on energy policy and public lands.
Lee Zeldin
Zeldin is the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Trump appointed him to lead the agency in 2025. His role includes overseeing federal environmental regulations, air and water protections and the agency's implementation of environmental laws.
Howard Lutnick
Lutnick is the U.S. secretary of commerce. Before joining the administration, he led financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald and was a prominent Trump supporter. The Commerce Department oversees trade policy, economic data, business development and several programs related to U.S. manufacturing and industry.
Steve Witkoff
Witkoff is a real estate investor and Trump's special envoy. A longtime New York property developer, he has been involved in the administration's diplomatic efforts, including negotiations concerning international conflicts. His name came up during the Lubbock rally, though that alone doesn't confirm he attended the event.
Who appeared with Trump in Corpus Christi?
Johnny Manziel
Manziel is the former Texas A&M quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy in 2012, becoming the first freshman to receive the award. He later played for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL.
Manziel attended the Corpus Christi rally and reportedly flew aboard Air Force One with Trump. He did not attend the Lubbock rally.
Todd Hunter
Hunter is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives who represents a Corpus Christi-area district. He spoke at the rally, making him one of the local elected officials featured during Trump's visit to the Coastal Bend.
Paul Perez
Perez is president of the National Border Patrol Council, the labor union representing U.S. Border Patrol agents. Trump acknowledged Perez during the Corpus Christi event while discussing immigration enforcement and border security.
Eric Flores
Flores is the Republican nominee for Texas' 34th Congressional District, which stretches from the Corpus Christi area toward the Rio Grande Valley. A former federal prosecutor, Flores has emphasized border security, energy independence and water supplies for South Texas.
Trump endorsed Flores, and Flores spoke at the rally as Republicans sought to compete in a district currently represented by Democrat Vicente Gonzalez.
Michael Cloud
Cloud is the Republican U.S. representative for Texas' 27th Congressional District, which includes Corpus Christi and much of the surrounding Coastal Bend. He spoke at the rally as a regional representative with a direct connection to the area.
Monica De La Cruz
De La Cruz is a Republican U.S. representative from South Texas. She represents Texas' 15th Congressional District and has been a prominent Republican voice in a region where the party has sought to expand its support among Hispanic voters.
She spoke at the Corpus Christi event.
Mayes Middleton
Middleton is a Republican state senator from the Galveston area and the Republican candidate for Texas attorney general. He is running to succeed Paxton, who is seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Middleton spoke at the Corpus Christi rally, criticizing Talarico and discussing energy policy and other issues.
Why Trump visited both cities
Trump's Oct. 27 stops were part of a broader effort to rally Republican voters before Election Day. His remarks focused heavily on the Texas Senate race, with Paxton facing Talarico, a Democratic state representative.
The two events also brought together figures from different parts of Texas' political and business landscape. Lubbock's rally featured West Texas congressional candidates and Texas Tech leaders, while the Corpus Christi stop included Coastal Bend and South Texas officials alongside Manziel and Amendola.
The appearances offered a snapshot of the political network supporting Trump's campaign efforts in Texas, from local officeholders and university leaders to statewide candidates and national administration officials.
Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the nation as the Weather Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network and contributes to Texas Connect coverage across the state. She can be reached at baddison@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Facebook here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who joined Trump at his Corpus Christi, Lubbock rallies in Texas
