Key facts
- Jackson Lahmeyer withdrew from his U.S. House runoff race.
- Lahmeyer is the founder of Pastors for Trump.
- Reports of romantic text messages outside of marriage preceded Lahmeyer's withdrawal.
- Donald Trump rescinded his endorsement of Jackson Lahmeyer.
- Donald Trump shifted his endorsement to Mark Tedford.
- Mark Tedford is the presumptive Republican nominee.
- The race was for a U.S. House seat in Oklahoma.
Jackson Lahmeyer, founder of Pastors for Trump, has withdrawn from his U.S. House runoff race in Oklahoma. The withdrawal follows reports of romantic text messages exchanged with a woman outside of his marriage. Shortly before Lahmeyer's withdrawal, Donald Trump rescinded his endorsement of the pastor. Following Lahmeyer's exit from the race, Trump has shifted his endorsement to Mark Tedford. Tedford is now considered the presumptive Republican nominee for the House seat.
Lahmeyer's campaign was previously backed by Donald Trump, who had endorsed him as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. The emergence of reports concerning extramarital text messages led to the retraction of Trump's support. This development paved the way for Tedford to become the leading Republican candidate in the primary.