It's one of the most powerful positions in the Texas state government. The Texas attorney general serves as the state's lawyer while also wielding the power to interpret the Texas Constitution and investigate government officials.
With Ken Paxton stepping down after over a decade as Texas attorney general to run for U.S. senator, the position is up for grabs. Republican candidate Mayes Middleton and Democratic candidate Nathan Johnson have been on the campaign trail since early 2025.
Johnson is a Dallas attorney and has been a state senator since 2019. In an interview withHouston Public Media, Johnson said that, as attorney general, he would focus on upholding the rule of law, reinvigorating consumer protection and making sure markets are competitive.
He said he wants to change the way things have been done in the office for the past decade.
“I ran for attorney general [because], for one thing, it's just an important office that we should have in good hands, not under bad leadership, which is what we’ve had," Johnson said. “I didn’t want to see that office wasted any longer.”
Johnson said he also seeks to repair relationships with criminal prosecutors around the state.
“My priority is to rebuild the attorney general's office with an ethical dedication to public service, get rid of the corrupt atmosphere," Johnson said.
On his campaign site, Johnson said as attorney general, he would lead the fight against the "MAGA machine's assault on individual rights, against the looting of tax dollars and against federal overreach."
"Why should they vote for me instead of Mayes Middleton? He’s an election denier who voted to acquit Ken Paxton of corruption in the office that he now seeks," Johnson said.
Middleton, the Republican candidate, is a staunchly conservative member of the Texas legislature and a self-described "steadfast ally of President Trump."
"I will not bend, and Texas will not bend to the delusions of the radical left," Middleton said in a clip posted to his social media. He did not respond toHouston Public Media'srequest for an interview.
Middleton has been a state senator since 2023, representing parts of Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties. He's also the president of Middleton Oil Company.
According to his campaign materials, Middleton prioritizes border security and law enforcement, a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying, parental choice in education and "fighting back against the radical left's woke agenda."
"We need to make sure that we enforce our ban on sanctuary cities. That is attorney general enforcement, and what that is is zero tolerance for those that are in the way of President Trump’s deportation agenda and border security agenda," Middleton said in another clip posted to his social media.
As Texas Democrats are hoping to capitalize on momentum for the party nationwide, Mark Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute, said an upset by Johnson would be significant for the state’s political landscape.
"That would be a political earthquake; you would have a Democrat for the first time in almost 30 years occupying the third most important position within Texas state government," Jones said.
Jones said Middleton is expected to follow the conservative playbook set by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and followed by Paxton, both of whom served as Texas attorney general. On the other hand, Jones said Johnson's political track record suggests he’s more centrist than other Democratic candidates running in the midterm election.
In terms of campaign funds, while Middleton has raised around $25 million of campaign funds since the beginning of the year, Johnson has raised nearly $3 million.
Middleton has poured around $18 million of his own money into his campaign since 2025. Jones said Middleton put a lot of that money toward his campaign during a competitive primary election earlier this year. He's spent far less money on the general election, according to Jones.
"He appears to have adopted the strategy of relying on the ‘R' next to his name," Jones said.
Jones says Johnson is fighting the issue of name recognition.
"50% of likely voters know enough about Middleton to have an opinion of him, compared to only 29% who know enough about Johnson to have an opinion about him," Jones said.
Libertarian candidate Tom Oxford is also running against Middleton and Johnson in the race for Texas attorney general.
Polling from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs released on Oct. 19 showed Middleton leading with 47% of likely voters, Johnson with 42% and Oxford with 3%.
Early voting ends on Friday. Election Day is Nov. 3.
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