Former DOJ official Aaron Reitz has endorsed State Sen. Mayes Middleton in the Republican runoff for Texas attorney general, backing the candidate he previously opposed in a competitive primary.
Reitz, who finished fourth in the March 3 primary with more than 277,000 votes, announced his support for Middleton in a statement Wednesday. Middleton and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy advanced to the runoff after placing first and second, respectively, with neither candidate securing a majority.
“In my last public statement, I said that the next Attorney General of Texas must have three qualities,” Reitz said. “As between Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy, only Mayes meets those criteria—and that is why he has earned my enthusiastic endorsement to be the next Attorney General.”
Reitz wrote that Middleton “has always been aligned with President Trump,” whom he described as calling Middleton a “very effective leader” with a conservative voting record “second to none.” By contrast, Reitz pointed to Roy’s past criticism of Trump, including calling him “wrong, troubling, and impeachable.”
He also contrasted the candidates’ positions on Attorney General Ken Paxton, saying Middleton has the “mind, heart, and willpower to keep his foot on the gas” after Paxton leaves office, while noting Roy had previously called for Paxton’s resignation and supported impeachment efforts.
Reitz went on to argue that Middleton “understands we’re in a real war with the radical Left and has led accordingly,” while criticizing Roy as someone who “talks a big game about being in the fight, but he accomplishes little.”
The endorsement marks a notable shift from the primary, where Reitz had been a vocal critic of Middleton while campaigning as a candidate himself. The race drew four Republicans, with Middleton finishing first at 39.2 percent and Roy second at 31.7 percent, followed by Joan Huffman and Reitz.
Reitz encouraged his supporters to unify behind Middleton, saying, “Mayes has my full backing for Attorney General, and I encourage all my former donors and voters to throw their support behind Mayes too.”
The Republican runoff between Middleton and Roy is scheduled for May 26.
On the Democrat side, voters will also see a runoff for attorney general, with State Sen. Nathan Johnson and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski advancing to a second round after no candidate secured a majority.
