The Republican runoff for Texas attorney general entered a new phase this week after U.S. Rep. Chip Roy received a major financial boost from Amarillo businessman and GOP megadonor Alex Fairly. The contribution, totaling $2.75 million, arrives as early voting gets underway in Roy’s high-profile contest against state Sen. Mayes Middleton ahead of the May 26 runoff election.
The latest campaign finance filings show Fairly provided Roy with $1.75 million in fresh contributions while also forgiving a previous $1 million loan made during the primary campaign. The move instantly elevated Fairly to Roy’s top financial backer and injected new momentum into a race that has increasingly become one of the most closely watched Republican contests in Texas politics.
The runoff emerged after neither Roy nor Middleton secured more than 50% of the vote in the March primary election. Middleton finished first in that initial round, helped largely by an enormous personal investment into his campaign. The Galveston-based oil and gas executive has now contributed nearly $17 million of his own money to his bid for attorney general, underscoring the increasingly expensive nature of statewide Republican primaries in Texas.
During the runoff period alone, Middleton has added another $2.4 million to his campaign coffers, accounting for nearly half of the money raised since the primary ended. His self-funded strategy helped build early momentum under a campaign brand centered heavily around support for President Donald Trump and the broader MAGA movement.
Roy’s campaign, however, appears to be regaining financial footing at a critical moment. Alongside Fairly’s multimillion-dollar infusion, the congressman also collected several other major donations from wealthy Texas conservatives and business leaders. Odessa oil executive Charles Saulsbury contributed nearly $600,000, while Houston financier Robert Marling gave half a million dollars. Additional six-figure support came from Legacy Medical Consultants and Tranquil Path Investments.
The fundraising surge is already translating into increased advertising activity. Earlier in the race, Middleton dominated the airwaves and digital advertising market, spending more than twice as much as Roy ahead of the March primary. His campaign heavily promoted the “MAGA Mayes” message in an effort to position himself as the strongest conservative ally to Trump and the broader Republican base.
More recently, however, Roy has narrowed — and in some areas surpassed — Middleton’s spending advantage. According to media tracking data from AdImpact, Roy has outspent Middleton by more than $1 million in recent weeks as both candidates prepare for the final stretch before Election Day. Political observers expect campaign spending to intensify dramatically as turnout efforts ramp up during early voting.
The contest has exposed notable divisions within influential Republican circles in Texas. Roy has attempted to center his campaign around legal and governmental experience, contrasting his résumé with Middleton’s business background. Fairly echoed that argument while explaining why he chose to increase his involvement in the race.
Fairly has developed a reputation as an independent-minded donor within Texas Republican politics, often supporting candidates based on policy views and qualifications rather than party alliances alone. In backing Roy, he emphasized the importance of experience in managing the Texas attorney general’s office, which frequently leads legal challenges against federal policies and plays a prominent national role in conservative litigation.
Roy’s supporters point to his extensive legal and political background as a key advantage. Before serving in Congress, Roy held a senior position under then-Attorney General Ken Paxton after Paxton first took office in 2015. In that role, Roy helped oversee legal battles against the Obama administration and worked on major litigation initiatives involving immigration, federal regulations and executive authority.
In addition to his time in the attorney general’s office, Roy previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney handling criminal cases. He also worked as a senior adviser to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and later advised U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn before winning election to Congress, where he has represented a Central Texas district for four terms.
Middleton, meanwhile, has highlighted his record as a conservative state legislator and businessman. Though he earned a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin, most of his professional career has been tied to his family’s oil and gas company, which he inherited in 2013. Middleton has argued that his business leadership and involvement in civil litigation provide valuable experience for the attorney general role.
The runoff has also become a proxy fight over ideological loyalty and relationships within Republican leadership circles. Middleton and his allies have repeatedly criticized Roy for clashes with party leadership and for previous comments about Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Roy previously described Trump’s actions surrounding that period as potentially impeachable, comments that continue to draw criticism from some Republican activists.
At the same time, Roy has occasionally frustrated conservative leadership in Washington by opposing spending bills and resisting some GOP legislative priorities over fiscal concerns. Despite those disagreements, Trump has publicly acknowledged Roy’s conservative credentials while also noting that the congressman can be difficult to work with politically.
Several high-profile Republican leaders in Texas have become increasingly active in the runoff’s closing weeks. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has endorsed Middleton and promoted him on social media as a committed MAGA conservative who would work closely with Republican leaders at both the state and national level.
Paxton, whose political legacy looms heavily over the race, has also entered the conversation indirectly. In leaked audio obtained by Texas Bullpen, Paxton indicated he would personally support Middleton over Roy, despite the fact that Roy once served as his top deputy. Paxton has not formally endorsed either candidate in the runoff.
The attorney general’s race carries unusually high stakes for Texas Republicans because the office has become one of the nation’s most influential legal and political platforms. Texas attorneys general routinely spearhead lawsuits challenging federal policies on immigration, energy, healthcare and constitutional issues. The position has also increasingly served as a launching point for broader national influence within conservative politics.
As early voting continues, the runoff is shaping up as a test of competing visions within the Texas GOP: one focused on legal experience and institutional expertise, and another centered on ideological alignment, political loyalty and outsider branding. With millions of dollars continuing to pour into advertising and turnout operations, both Roy and Middleton are preparing for an expensive and fiercely contested final week before Republican voters decide who will advance to the statewide office.
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