State Sen. Mayes Middleton defeated his opponent, Congressman Chip Roy in the primary runoff election on Tuesday.
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Republicans have chosen their nominee for attorney general.
Current AG Ken Paxton, a Republican, chose to enter the U.S. Senate race, leaving his position up for grabs. But after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the primary election, both the Republican and Democratic races for AG went to a runoff.
Congressman Chip Roy and State Sen. Mayes Middleton went head-to-head, with the Associated Press projecting Middleton as the winner on Tuesday. He will now face Democrat Nathan Johnson in November.
About Mayes Middleton
Middleton first announced his intention to run for attorney general in April 2025, shortly after Paxton announced he would be challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Cornyn. In the time since, Middleton has branded himself as “MAGA Mayes,” aligning himself with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.
“This is a calling for me – it is not a job. The most important thing in the attorney general’s role is defeating the left, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the past seven years in the Legislature,” Middleton said in a recent interview with KVUE, adding, “This is a ‘show me, don’t tell me’ business. We are tired of politicians telling us what they’re gonna do; they’ve gotta show us the results. And that’s exactly what I can do.”
On his campaign website, Middleton says he is committed to “protecting Texas values, defending common sense, and putting hardworking families first.” His priorities include securing the border, cracking down on crime and holding “rogue district attorneys accountable,” shutting down “the woke-left’s radical gender agenda” and eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse in government,” among other things.
Middleton is an attorney and president of the Middleton Oil Company, and he also runs ranching, cattle and farming operations. In the Texas Senate, he represents Senate District 11, which covers portions of Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties. He says during his time in the Texas Legislature, he has “consistently ranked among the most conservative members.”
Prior to his time in the Texas Senate, Middleton served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives, representing Chambers and Galveston counties. During his final term in the house, he served as chairman of the Texas House Freedom Caucus.
He has a law degree from the University of Texas Law School.