GOP attorney general candidates tout conservative bona fides at only debate in primary to succeed Ken Paxton

By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune
February 17, 2026

At a debate that hit all the major GOP talking points, the four Republicans vying to be Texas’ next attorney general sought to differentiate themselves and their vision for running one of the state’s most powerful offices. 

All four candidates are conservative, with little ideological daylight between each other and current Attorney General Ken Paxton. At the debate, they echoed calls to use the agency to go after the “Islamification” of Texas, wrest immigration enforcement authority from the federal government and stop the flow of abortion pills into the state. 

As the apparent frontrunner, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy took the most arrows, as the other three candidates hope to keep him below 50% of the vote to force a runoff. Roy, a fourth-term congressman from Austin, previously served as chief of staff for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and the top deputy to Paxton when he was first elected attorney general.

Aaron Reitz, who also worked under Paxton and is endorsed by him, said at the debate that Roy was “so ineffective, so bad at serving as Paxton’s deputy, that Paxton fired him.” Roy said that was untrue and touted his endorsement from Cruz, whom Reitz also worked under. 

“Ted, having served as solicitor general for 10 years for this great state, he knows what is necessary in that office, and I’m proud to have his full support and endorsement,” Roy said. 

Roy also took criticism for pushing back against a GOP bill that would have criminalized providing hormone therapy to minors, which he felt would have given the federal government unconstitutional authority over the states. Galveston state Sen. Mayes Middleton rejected Roy’s state’s rights qualms, saying there’s “no right” to hurt a child, a point Reitz echoed vehemently. 

Roy, who was otherwise relatively muted on the stage, pushed back heatedly — not just on his record of being anti-transgender, but on the deeper conflict at the center of this issue. 

“It is amazing to listen to Republican attorneys general candidates standing up, saying they want massive federal laws to step over the state of Texas,” Roy said. “That is a new frontier.”

Roy, whose principled stands have often put him at odds with GOP leadership, touts this independence as a point of pride. He points out that he has voted with President Donald Trump’s agenda more than almost any other candidate, but he’s vowing to keep federal overreach out of the state — no matter who is president. 

State Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston echoed Roy, saying “there can be overreach and bad ideas, no matter who the administration is.” Huffman is running on her decades as a prosecutor, judge and longtime state legislator, and has tried to swap the other candidates’ bombast for measured experience. 

While her opponents have vowed to remove left-leaning district attorneys as soon as they assume office, Huffman pointed out on the debate stage that removing local elected officials isn’t as easy as they make it seem. Reitz called that a “loser” mentality. 

“If it was something that could be done on day one,” Huffman shot back, “it begs the question, why hasn’t Paxton already done it?” 

Middleton, an oil and gas executive and prominent GOP donor, has poured almost $12 million of his own money into the race. Running as “MAGA Mayes,” Middleton touts his record as one of Texas’ most conservative legislators. Recent polling shows Middleton’s self-funded ad buys are moving the needle, putting him in the running for the second spot in the runoff against Roy.  

But Middleton’s opponents criticize his lack of legal experience outside of his family company. When asked what the attorney general’s office could do about illegal gambling, Middleton said “not only is gambling unconstitutional in Texas, it’s illegal.”

“News flash to the guy who’s never practiced law a day in his life,” Reitz said in response. “If something is unconstitutional, it is illegal.” 

This is the first GOP primary for attorney general in more than a decade without Paxton in the running. During Paxton’s tenure, the office has become an increasingly influential part of the national conservative legal strategy to use the courts to advance policy goals, meaning this race is being closely watched in Texas and beyond. 

The debate was hosted by the Republican Attorneys General Association and conservative Blaze Media, with seven other Republican AGs in attendance. 

“The next Texas Attorney General will build upon an office shaped by Ken Paxton, Greg Abbott, and John Cornyn,” RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper said in a statement. “The Texas Attorney General plays a critical role locally and nationally, from protecting Texans to promoting the rule of law and preserving freedom for future generations.”

Tuesday marked the start of Texas’ 11-day early voting period, running through Feb. 27.

Whoever wins the primary on March 3 — or the runoff in late May, if necessary — will face the Democratic nominee in November. Three candidates are running; no Democrat has won statewide office in Texas since 1994.

This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.