For the first time in over a decade, there is no incumbent in the Texas attorney general's race as Republican Ken Paxton runs for U.S. Senate. Candidates on both sides of the aisle will compete in runoff elections May 26 after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primaries.
State Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin are each seeking the Republican nomination for the seat.
The overview
Middleton and Roy were the two highest-performing candidates in a four-person primary race. Middleton received 39% of the vote March 3 and Roy collected 32% of the vote.
The winner of the May 26 overtime round will face the Democratic nominee and potential third-party candidates in November. Information about the Democratic runoff candidates for Texas attorney general is available here.
Whoever is elected the next state attorney general will serve as Texas' top lawyer, defending the state in court, filing consumer protection lawsuits and issuing opinions interpreting state law. The agency also enforces Texas' child support laws, investigates human trafficking cases and manages access to public records.
Preparing for the polls
Texans can vote early in the runoff election from May 18-22. Runoff elections, like primaries, are separated by political party, meaning Texans who voted in one party's primary this March may only vote in the same party's runoff. Individuals who did not participate in the March primaries or a third-party nominating convention can vote in either party’s runoff this May.
Runoff election day is May 26. For more information about the state and local races on your runoff ballot, visit communityimpact.com/election.
What you need to know
The original version of this election questionnaire was published Jan. 21, ahead of the March 3 primary election. Community Impact is republishing Q&As for five statewide runoff races, with the goal of providing a side-by-side, equitable resource for Texas voters to review candidates' perspectives as they prepare to head to the polls this month.
This Q&A was updated to remove Joan Huffman and Aaron Reitz, the two Republican candidates who did not advance to the May 26 runoff. Candidates' answers were not changed from the originally published article.
Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been minimally edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
