DALLAS—All four Republican primary candidates for Texas attorney general traded jabs in the highest-profile debate yet, as early voting has opened across the state.
Candidates include State Sen. Joan Huffman, State Sen. Mayes Middleton, former Department of Justice official Aaron Reitz, and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy. Each is vying for the seat left open by Ken Paxton, who is seeking the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.
Hosted by the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) and moderated by BlazeTV podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey, all of the candidates began by attempting to link themselves to President Donald Trump, who has not endorsed in the race.
Middleton quoted Trump as calling him a “MAGA champion” while Reitz cited Trump labeling him a “true MAGA attorney” and “warrior for the constitution.”
Roy highlighted his current work alongside President Trump to pass the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of United States citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
Huffman referenced working alongside the president on border security.
Stuckey covered issues including abortion, islamification, fraud, marijuana, oil, closed primaries, and transgenderism. While the candidates generally agreed on the issues and how Texas should tackle them, hostility arose over experience and past records.
In the first half of the debate, all attacks were directed at Roy—seemingly an acknowledgment of his lead in the polls.
Middleton stated that Roy has spent 10 years fighting Trump and defending Liz Cheney.
Reitz repeatedly asserted that he was the only candidate on the stage with proven courtroom experience, to which Roy cited his time serving as Texas’ first assistant attorney general. This led Reitz—who is Paxton’s endorsed successor—to level a vicious attack on Roy.
“Remember, he was so ineffective, so bad at serving as Paxton’s deputy, that Paxton fired him,” said Reitz. “[E]ven though he wants to cite that experience he was so bad that he shouldn’t be running on it today.”
Roy responded, saying “that’s simply not true, but I know someone who both of us worked for that endorsed me and that’s Senator Ted Cruz. And he has put his full confidence in me to serve as the attorney general of Texas. Ted, having served as solicitor general for this great state, he knows what is necessary in that office and I’m proud to have his full support and endorsement.”
Middleton and Reitz also attacked Roy for opposing conservative legislation in Congress, on the basis of states rights.
“It is amazing to listen to Republican attorneys general candidates standing up saying they want massive federal laws to step over the state of Texas,” responded Roy. “That is a new frontier.”
Huffman later came under fire for her response to Reitz and Middleton’s intent to remove the “rogue” Democrat district attorneys in Dallas, Harris, and Travis counties from office for violating their oaths of office by refusing to prosecute crime.
Huffman implied that such an action “cannot be done on day one … or in the first month. It is a process.” She proceeded to point out that the “vast majority of the prosecutors in this state are great people” who have their constituents’ “best interests at heart.”
Reitz clapped back, calling this “exactly the sort of loser mentality why Republicans often don’t win.”
Huffman then responded, “If it was something that could be done then it begs the question, ‘Why hasn’t Paxton already done it?’”
When prompted, Roy was the only candidate to criticize what he views as shortcomings in the current attorney general’s office, while laying out what he would do differently.
“I don’t think that the office of the attorney general is following the money as much as it could with the power that it has to look at the nonprofits and the NGOs that are driving the Islamic invasion in the state of Texas,” said Roy.
Roy held off until his closing statement to attack Reitz and Middleton more aggressively.
“I’m not a trust fund kid spending my family’s money,” Roy said in reference to Middleton. “I didn’t get a precious Senate confirmed slot, spend 70 days in the administration so I could ladder climb back home in Texas,” said Roy, taking aim at Reitz.
Reitz was at the U.S. Department of Justice for a little over two months, from late March 2025 until mid‑June 2025.
Middleton closed by taking some final shots at Roy.
“I’m not retreating from Washington DC because I’m never going to Washington DC. I have always known that the fight is here. We don’t have another Texas to move to,” said Middleton.
The effect Tuesday night’s debate will have on the election is yet to be seen.
With four competitors, the primary could narrow down the field to two candidates for a runoff election if no single candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote. Whoever wins this primary race is expected to become the state’s next attorney general.
The open seat is rare, as it has been 11 years since Paxton took office in 2015. Before that, Gov. Greg Abbott served as attorney general for 12 years—with his first term beginning in 2002.
Early voting for the Republican primary runs from Tuesday, February 17, through Friday, February 27. Election day is March 3.
