The Republican runoff for Texas Attorney General on May 26, 2026, features U.S. Rep. Chip Roy and state Sen. Mayes Middleton. The winner will become the GOP nominee in a race to replace incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
The March primary produced a competitive four-way field, with Roy and Middleton advancing to the runoff after neither reached a majority threshold. Middleton led the first round, while Roy placed second.
The race has centered on questions of legal experience, ideological alignment within the Texas GOP, and the role of self-funding versus outside support in statewide campaigns.
Chip Roy
Chip Roy is a Republican congressman representing Texas’s 21st Congressional District. Before entering Congress, Roy worked in both state and federal government roles, including service as a federal prosecutor and as chief of staff to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. His legal background has become a central theme of his campaign for Texas Attorney General.
Roy entered the race in 2025 as part of a crowded Republican field seeking to replace outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton. The role of attorney general in Texas is widely considered one of the most powerful state-level legal offices in the country, responsible for civil litigation, criminal appeals, and multi-state lawsuits involving federal policy disputes.
Roy’s campaign has emphasized his litigation and prosecutorial experience as directly relevant to the job. Reporting from the Texas Tribune notes that several candidates in the race highlighted courtroom experience as a qualification for the office, a contrast with rivals who come from legislative or business backgrounds.
Throughout his time in Congress, Roy has been identified with the conservative wing of the House Republican conference. He has frequently taken hardline positions on issues such as federal spending, immigration enforcement, and administrative agency authority. His legislative style is often described in coverage as confrontational toward bipartisan deals and leadership-supported compromises.
In the attorney general race, Roy has positioned himself as a candidate focused on legal rigor and constitutional enforcement. His supporters argue that his prosecutorial background and federal legal exposure give him relevant experience for overseeing statewide litigation and managing Texas’s participation in multi-state lawsuits against federal agencies.
Roy’s campaign has also been shaped by broader ideological divisions within Texas Republican politics. According to reporting, the race reflects competing visions of conservatism, with some voters prioritizing legal experience and others emphasizing legislative loyalty and alignment with state leadership.
In addition to his legal credentials, Roy has emphasized his work in Congress on issues that intersect with state litigation priorities, including challenges to federal regulatory actions. His supporters argue that attorneys general increasingly function as national-level litigators, making federal legislative experience relevant.
However, critics in the race have raised questions about whether congressional service translates directly into managing a large state legal office. The Texas Attorney General’s Office oversees hundreds of attorneys and handles a wide range of litigation and enforcement responsibilities, requiring administrative and organizational leadership in addition to legal expertise.
Editorial coverage of the race has described Roy as one of two candidates with more policy depth and legal engagement compared to others in the race, while also criticizing rhetorical and ideological positioning in campaign messaging.
Roy has also benefited from financial support and outside contributions during the runoff phase, including large donations from Republican donors that have helped sustain campaign operations in a highly competitive race.
Politically, Roy is aligned with conservative grassroots constituencies and has built a profile as a constitutionalist-oriented lawmaker. His candidacy is often framed by supporters as emphasizing legal discipline, federal litigation experience, and ideological consistency.
Opponents argue that his congressional record reflects legislative combativeness rather than executive management experience, raising questions about readiness to lead a statewide law enforcement and legal agency.
Overall, Roy’s campaign rests on the argument that prosecutorial experience and federal legislative knowledge provide the strongest preparation for Texas’s top legal office.
Mayes Middleton
Mayes Middleton is a Republican state senator representing parts of the Texas Gulf Coast, including Galveston County. Before serving in the state Senate, he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives. Outside politics, Middleton is a businessman involved in the oil and gas sector, where he serves as president of a family-owned company.
Middleton entered the attorney general race with significant financial resources, including substantial self-funding. Reporting indicates he contributed nearly $14–15 million to his campaign, which played a major role in his strong finish in the March primary.
His campaign has emphasized a combination of state legislative experience and private-sector leadership. Unlike several opponents in the race with legal backgrounds, Middleton’s professional experience is rooted in business operations and legislative policymaking rather than courtroom practice.
Middleton’s legislative record in the Texas Senate reflects alignment with conservative priorities in the state Republican Party. He has supported legislation consistent with the broader GOP agenda in Texas on regulatory, social, and governance issues. His campaign presents this record as evidence of familiarity with state lawmaking and policy implementation.
A key argument in Middleton’s candidacy is that the attorney general role requires not only legal knowledge but also policy judgment and executive leadership. Supporters point to his experience in the Texas Legislature as preparation for understanding state statutes, interacting with agencies, and shaping legal policy priorities.
Middleton has also received significant institutional political support. One of the most notable endorsements came from Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who publicly backed Middleton during the runoff, describing him as one of the most conservative senators in the state.
That endorsement has been viewed as an important signal within Texas GOP politics, reflecting alignment with the state’s conservative leadership structure. Middleton’s campaign has also been supported by other Republican figures and organizations, contributing to his standing within party infrastructure.
His business background is frequently highlighted in campaign messaging. As an oil and gas executive, Middleton emphasizes experience managing complex operations in a heavily regulated industry. Supporters argue this provides insight into regulatory frameworks and economic policy, both of which intersect with the attorney general’s litigation portfolio.
However, critics of Middleton’s candidacy have pointed to his lack of direct legal or courtroom experience. Reporting from the Texas Tribune notes that several opponents emphasized legal credentials as a key qualification for the office, particularly given the Attorney General’s role as the state’s top lawyer.
This contrast between legal experience and legislative/business experience has become a defining theme of the race. Middleton’s supporters argue that many attorneys general nationally come from non-legal or legislative backgrounds, and that executive leadership and political judgment are equally important.
The race has also highlighted the role of campaign financing. Middleton’s significant self-funding has allowed him to compete aggressively statewide, shaping advertising and voter outreach efforts in a high-cost election environment.
Editorial analysis of the race has described tensions between policy depth, ideological alignment, and political messaging within the Republican primary field.
Overall, Middleton’s candidacy is built on state-level governance experience, financial independence, and alignment with Texas Republican leadership. His supporters frame him as a pragmatic conservative with executive and legislative credentials, while critics emphasize his lack of direct legal practice as a potential gap for the state’s top law enforcement office.
Summary of the Race
The Roy / Middleton runoff reflects a broader debate in Texas Republican politics over what best qualifies a candidate to serve as attorney general: courtroom and federal legal experience, or legislative and executive leadership combined with political alignment and financial resources.
.jpg)
.jpg)
