Republicans Texas Sen. Mayes Middleton and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy go head-to-head. Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski and Texas Sen. Nathan Johnson on the Democratic ticket.
HOUSTON — The seat to replace outgoing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton heads to a runoff on Tuesday. Both Democratic and Republican candidates went to a runoff after the March 3 primary elections.
On the Republican side, Texas Senator Mayes Middleton and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy. As for Democrats, it’s former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski against Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas. The winners of the two contests will move on to face each other in the November general election.
The Republican runoff has shattered spending records and drawn national attention, with both candidates aggressively attacking each other in the final stretch.
Middleton, who finished first in the March primary, is framing himself as the conservative candidate best positioned to continue the work of outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton. He told KHOU 11 he believes the race is about protecting Texas and advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda on immigration and border security.
Middleton branded himself as “MAGA Mayes” and said he is the “Trump candidate” in the race, despite Trump not endorsing either candidate. During a one-on-one interview with KHOU 11, Middleton said his priorities as attorney general would include targeting cartels, fighting what he calls waste and fraud in government and continuing the legal battles against Democrats and progressive policies. “
The race has become one of the most expensive attorney general primaries in U.S. history, with Middleton spending more than $11 million of his own money on the campaign. Roy and other critics have questioned Middleton’s legal experience, arguing he has not practiced law extensively, but Middleton defended his conservative credentials and attacked Roy’s record and relationship with Trump. Middleton also repeated false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, despite courts and election reviews finding no evidence of widespread fraud that changed the outcome.
Roy, a four-term congressman, says his legal background makes him the better choice to lead the office.
Roy has centered his campaign on experience, criticizing Middleton’s legal background and arguing that Texas needs an attorney general who has worked in courtrooms and understands the legal system. Roy previously worked in the Texas Attorney General’s Office and said he would focus on border security, immigration enforcement and continuing many of the policies championed by outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Roy also pushed back on attacks from Middleton, questioning his relationship with President Donald Trump, saying his record in Congress aligns closely with Trump’s priorities. Roy accused Middleton of being too tied to Austin politics and said the attorney general’s office should focus on serving Texans, not political insiders
The winner of Tuesday’s Republican runoff will advance to the November election to face the winner of the Democratic runoff between the winner of the Johnson-Jaworski runoff on the Democratic side.
In interviews with our sister station, WFAA, in February, both Johnson and Jaworski argued that the office needs to rebuild public trust. Johnson said the attorney general’s office is no longer a “propaganda tool,” while Jaworski said the office should focus on serving Texans regardless of political party.
Johnson, who was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2018 after flipping a longtime Republican seat in Dallas, pointed to his electoral track record and experience in office as reasons Democrats should support him. Jaworski, meanwhile, has positioned himself as the more progressive candidate, highlighting his work as Galveston mayor and his efforts to rebuild public housing despite political opposition.
Both Democrats acknowledged they face an uphill battle in November in a state that has not elected a Democrat statewide in decades.
Primary runoff Election Day is Tuesday, May 26. KHOU 11 will have complete coverage of all the key races. We’ll stream live from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., then have a full recap on KHOU 11 News at 10.