Wesley Hunt demands permanent DEI ban: 'I want to earn every opportunity on merit'

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Rep Wesley Hunt wants diversity, equity and inclusion ideology gone for good.

An Army veteran and current member of Congress, Hunt said he wants no special treatment attached to his name and should be evaluated based only on his performance as he aims for the Senate.

Longstanding opposition to DEI as Senate race heats up

“DEI should be abolished, permanently. I never want to be chosen, promoted, or rewarded because of how I look. I want to earn every opportunity on merit, through hard work, grit, discipline, and determination,” Hunt declared in a post on X.

“Equality means equal standards, not engineered outcomes. The dignity of achievement comes from effort, not entitlement. Judge me by my character, my competence, and my results. Anything less is an insult to everyone striving to be their best,” the Texas Republican added.

That message landed and quickly found a high-profile backer in Elon Musk. “And this is how anyone of honor should be!” Musk gushed while sharing Hunt’s post on X.

Hunt has been hammering the issue well before his Senate bid.

“DEI should be DOA,” Hunt wrote in a May post on X. “America was built on merit, grit, determination, and hard work—not skin color, quotas, or political games. The promise of this nation is simple: we rise by the strength of our character, not the shade of our skin. I’ve lived by that truth—and it drives the left absolutely insane.”

Hunt has served in the US House of Representatives since 2023. He is now running for the US Senate, challenging incumbent Republican Sen John Cornyn of Texas, who is up for re-election this year.

The primary field is already crowded. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is also seeking to unseat Cornyn in the Republican US Senate primary.

Challenging Jasmine Crockett

Last month, Hunt turned heads when he challenged Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas to a debate shortly after she entered the Senate race.

Hunt was excited about what such a matchup would look like.

“Jasmine Crockett and I see two different Americas. She defines this country by victimhood. I define it by hard work, grit, and determination,” Hunt said.

He added that if Crockett agreed to face him on stage, it would be “must-see TV.”

Sources close to the campaign told Fox News that Crockett approached Hunt on Capitol Hill to discuss a potential debate. However, Hunt’s campaign team confirmed to Fox News that this was the first conversation the two lawmakers have ever had.

“A Hunt vs. Crockett debate is must-see TV, and I welcome it,” Hunt added.

Wesley Hunt is proud of his heritage

Hunt has spoken candidly about race, identity and what matters most to him.

Should either Crockett or Hunt win the Senate seat, it would mark the first time a Black American has been elected to a statewide office in Texas.

Hunt acknowledged the milestone but made clear it’s not what drives him. “I’m the great-great-grandson of a slave,” Hunt told Fox. “Our family story is one of going from a plantation to West Point, combat, and the United States Congress. That’s the story of American progress."

“I’m proud to be Black, but I’m prouder to be an American, and a native Texan,” Hunt added. “I’m far more focused on being a father, a husband, a veteran, a servant leader, and a citizen than my skin color.”

The Texas primary is set for March 3 this year and the general election is scheduled for November 3.