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U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, announced Thursday he is running for Texas attorney general, entering a high-stakes Republican primary to replace Ken Paxton. Paxton himself is running for United States Senate.
Roy, a conservative firebrand and policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, previously served as Paxton’s top deputy before breaking with him over allegations of misconduct. His candidacy brings national attention to a race already featuring state Sens. Joan Huffman of Houston, Mayes Middleton of Galveston, and Aaron Reitz, a former senior aide to Paxton.
“Texas is under assault — from open-border politicians, radical leftists and faceless foreign corporations that threaten our sovereignty, safety and our way of life,” Roy said in his announcement. “As attorney general, I will fight every single day for our God-given rights, for our families and for the future of Texas.”
A complicated relationship with Paxton and Trump
Roy’s history with Paxton is both close and complicated. Hired as Paxton’s first assistant attorney general in 2014, Roy left within two years amid staff shake-ups. He later became one of the first Republicans to call for Paxton’s resignation when senior aides reported him to the FBI for alleged bribery and abuse of office.
“I wish Ken all the best,” Roy said in a Thursday interview. “We have extraordinary overlapping belief systems. … There were some differences of opinion. That happens in politics.”
Roy has also clashed with former President Donald Trump, despite their ideological overlap. He certified the 2020 election results, opposed Paxton’s lawsuit to overturn outcomes in four states, and called Trump’s actions “clearly impeachable conduct.” Those positions could loom large in a GOP primary where Trump remains influential.
Positioning in a wide-open primary
Roy enters the race with more than $2.5 million in his federal campaign account and strong name recognition from his frequent appearances on cable news and conservative radio.
A Texas Southern University poll conducted before Roy’s announcement showed 73% of likely GOP primary voters undecided. Huffman led with 12%, followed by Middleton at 8% and Reitz at 7%.
As Texas’ top lawyer, the attorney general plays an outsized role in shaping national conservative legal battles — a platform Paxton used to challenge Democratic presidents in court for nearly a decade. Roy vowed to carry that mantle, while promising a harder line on crime and immigration.
“No more Soros-funded judges and [district attorneys] putting criminals on our streets,” Roy said. “No more judge-made mandates that Texas pay for illegals in our public schools. No more communities built on Sharia law.”
The GOP primary, triggered by Paxton’s Senate run, will test whether Roy’s independence from Trump and his past criticism of Paxton will energize or alienate Republican voters statewide.
