With Ken Paxton running for U.S. Senate, seven candidates from both parties are competing to become Texas’ next attorney general.
AUSTIN, Texas — As Ken Paxton campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat, the race to replace him as Texas Attorney General is heating up.
Seven candidates across both parties are vying for the position, each bringing experience in public office, military service or the criminal justice system.
On the Republican side, Chip Roy is considered a leading contender. He’s joined in the race by state senators Mayes Middleton and Joan Huffman, along with Aaron Reitz, who previously served in the Department of Justice and as an aide to Paxton.
Republican candidates have largely emphasized using the Attorney General’s office to challenge federal policies, defend Texas’ restrictive abortion laws and expand the state’s role in immigration enforcement.
On the Democratic side, the contest includes state senator Nathan Johnson, former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski and former FBI agent Tony Buzbee.
Democratic candidates say their campaigns focus on election integrity, consumer protection, civil rights and defending state laws in court.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in their party’s primary, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election in May.
Voting ends at 7 p.m. Tuesday.