State Sen. Mayes Middleton won Tuesday’s Republican Primary runoff for Texas attorney general, defeating U.S. Rep. Chip Roy in a hard-fought and costly statewide GOP contest.
Middleton entered the runoff in a strong position after besting Roy in the March primary by nearly 8 points, despite polling and betting markets having the congressman leading the runoff-bound race.
One of the first candidates to enter the race, Middleton positioned himself as the Trump‑aligned conservative in the race. He also earned the very vocal support of Aaron Reitz, a former Trump administration official who came in fourth in the first round of the Primary.
Roy also claimed the Trump mantle and had the high-profile endorsement of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. In the runoff, Roy was featured on multiple statewide slate mailers, and polling showed a competitive contest in the waning days of the race.
Both men promised to continue the combative model of attorney general established by Ken Paxton, vowing to aggressively challenge liberal policies in court and confront progressive local prosecutors who have refused to enforce state law.
Middleton, a Galveston‑area oil-and-gas businessman and state senator, relied heavily on his reputation as a movement conservative and on his own funding. At the start of the campaign, he personally committed $10 million to the race.
His message to primary voters was straightforward: Texas needs an attorney general who won’t flinch in high‑stakes fights with Washington or with liberal prosecutors at home.
Roy, a four‑term congressman and former federal prosecutor, ran on his legal experience in high‑level conservative politics. He stressed that the attorney general’s office is a sprawling law firm that demands a seasoned litigator at the helm, pointing to his work before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Roy argued that he was better prepared to manage complex litigation and to “deliver wins” in court rather than simply talk tough on television. At the same time, he had to contend with attacks over his past breaks with Trump, including his vocal criticism at key moments in recent national debates.
While Middleton’s personal wealth allowed him to dominate early, Roy recently enjoyed large cash infusions from Amarillo businessman Alex Fairly, who reportedly spent more than $6 million in a late advertising surge.
Notably, Middleton won mail-in ballots in March, pulling more than 50 percent of these votes from the 15 largest counties in the state. These ballots are dominated by voters over 65, a demographic that could have been expected to support Roy, given his frequent appearances on Fox News.
Middleton now heads to the November General Election against his Democrat Senate colleague, Nathan Johnson of Dallas. Johnson bested perennial candidate Joe Jaworski in the Democrat runoff election.
