Mayes Middleton wins the Republican primary runoff for Texas attorney general
State Sen. Mayes Middleton defeated U.S. Rep. Chip Roy in the Republican Party primary runoff for Texas attorney general, according to the Associated Press.
He will now face Democratic State Sen. Nathan Johnson in the Nov. 3 General election to determine who will succeed incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is projected to win his runoff against four-term incumbent U.S. Senate incumbent John Cornyn for the Republican nomination.
This is the first election since 2015 without an incumbent running to be Texas’s highest ranking prosecutor.
Roy acknowledged the results in a post on X.
“Just a little while ago, I called and congratulated @mayes_middleton for his victory in our race for the Republican nominee for Attorney General. I will have a full statement tomorrow. Onward,” Roy posted.
A representative for Roy did not immediately respond to an email from the Star-Telegram requesting comment.
Middleton cast himself as the heir apparent to Paxton’s legacy as a MAGA warrior, going so far as to give himself the nickname “MAGA Mayes Middleton.”
Middleton previously told the Star-Telegram his priority would be to use the resources of the Attorney General’s office to back up President Donald Trump and his border security and deportation agenda.
He also said he would prioritize rooting out waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars, as well as prosecute election-related crimes.
Paxton never openly endorsed a candidate in the race, however, in a leaked audio clip obtained by Texas Bullpen, Paxton can be heard saying he’s voting for Middleton.
Democrat Johnson wasted no time criticizing Middleton for his vote to acquit Paxton in his 2023 Impeachment trial.
“He knew what was right, and he did what was wrong,” Johnson said in a text message to the Star-Telegram.
Middleton did not immediately respond to a phone call and two text messages from the Star-Telegram requesting comment.
He did, however, repost a congratulatory post from Trump Campaign advisor Alex Bruesewitz on the social media platform X.
“He crushed anti-Trump RINO Chip Roy and is now on track to be the most MAGA Attorney General in the country when he wins in November,” Bruesewitz said in his post.
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 7:08 PM.
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