Get Unlimited Digital Access for 25¢For readers who want more stories, more depth. Act Now Sale Ends March 8 |
Happy Thursday, and welcome to another edition of Texas Elections 2026. Early voting for the Republican and Democratic primaries started Tuesday, but there's sill plenty of time to cast ballots heading toward the March 3 election. Have questions? Hit reply, and I'll do my best to get you answers.
A statewide election with far-reaching implications
The 2026 race for Texas attorney general is sure to shake up both the executive and legislative branches of state government, no matter which candidates win the March 3 Republican and Democratic primaries.
Here's how: The office is being vacated by three-term Republican Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate. And the AG contenders include three state senators, one of whom is giving up his seat to make the race.
What does the AG do? The attorney general is the state's top civil lawyer. The office defends the state and its agencies against lawsuits and can bring civil litigation to make sure state law is being followed.
During Paxton's tenure, the AG's office reached multibillion-dollar settlements with pharmaceutical companies he accused of improperly marketing addictive prescription drugs to Texans. Paxton's office also filed at least 100 lawsuits against President Joe Biden's administration on issues ranging from states' rights to border security.
The office has limited prosecutorial duties, but can assist local district attorneys if their offices have insufficient resources in particular cases.
A look at the the Republican primary field?
It's a crowded field, and that increases the likelihood of a runoff if no candidate wins an outright majority in round one.
The polling favorite appears to be U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin.
- He's served in the U.S. House since 2019, and has the backing of Sen. Ted Cruz. Once in Congress, Roy went from Paxton ally to Paxton critic amid the attorney general's well-chronicled legal challenges.
The big spender on the GOP side is state Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston.
- The primary is up or out for Middleton, who owns an oil and gas company, because his single term in the Senate expires after the November election. So far, he has sunk more than $10 million of his own money into the campaign, and has spent more than $9 million on political ads. That's more than double the amount Roy has spent.
The biggest Austin player in the field is state Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston.
- She's a former prosecutor and criminal court judge. Presently, she chairs the budget-writing Senate Finance Commission. She won her Senate seat in 2008 but won't have to give it up if she loses the AG race since her present term runs through the 2028 election. If she wins, that would prompt a special election next year in her Senate district.
Paxton's choice for his successor is his former deputy attorney general, Aaron Reitz.
- Before joining the race, Reitz served less than three months as an assistant U.S. attorney general in President Donald Trump's Justice Department.
What's happening on the Democratic side?
It's not quite as crowded as the GOP contest, but the race could also go into overtime.
The candidate with the most electoral experience is state Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas.
- He's been in the Senate since 2019 and his present term also runs through the 2028 elections. In private life, he practices business and bankruptcy law. In addition, he's an accomplished music composer and owns a music production company.
Joe Jaworski, a private-practice lawyer and mediator, is the Democrat with longest political pedigree.
- His grandfather was Texas legal legend Joe Jaworski, who gained national fame as the special Watergate prosecutor who brought down President Richard Nixon. Joe Jaworski is a former mayor of Galveston and was the runner up for the 2022 Democratic nomination for attorney general.
Rounding out the field is first-time candidate Tony Box.
- Box is a Dallas lawyer, an Army veteran and a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor. According to his campaign bio, Box traces his career in public service to his teenage years when he was shot in the liver after chasing down a purse snatcher. He joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps in college and later was commissioned as an Army officer.
More stories
🗓 Key Dates To Know - Feb 20: Last day to apply for absentee ballot (received, not postmarked)
- Feb 27: Last day of early voting
🗳 Check out our voter guide to help you prepare for the polls. |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment