Nathan Johnson Wins Texas Attorney General Race for Democrats

Nathan Johnson, a state senator from Dallas and a corporate lawyer, defeated Republican Mayes Middleton to become Texas’s next attorney general. With 94% of votes counted early Wednesday, Johnson had about 52% to Middleton’s 46%. The victory gives Democrats control of the office for the first time since 1994.

Texas Voters Reject GOP’s Partisan Attorney General Playbook

Texas voters chose Democrat Nathan Johnson over Republican Mayes Middleton, ending Republican control of the attorney general’s office and handing Democrats a major role in the state’s legal agenda. With 94% of votes counted early Wednesday, Johnson led 52% to 46%. He is the first Democrat to win the office since 1994.

The result challenges an office that under Ken Paxton became a force for conservative social issues and President Donald Trump’s agenda. Paxton sued the Obama administration 17 times and the Biden administration more than 100 times, including in an unsuccessful effort to overturn the 2020 election.

Johnson says the office should serve Texans across party lines, not act as a political stronghold. He has pledged to prioritize consumer safeguards, efforts to fight corruption and child support enforcement, while suing the Trump administration when he believes it oversteps in Texas.

Middleton campaigned on continuing the office’s conservative legal battles and backing Trump’s agenda. Johnson’s victory means that approach will no longer guide Texas’s attorney general, at least for now, and could reduce the state’s role in national litigation.

Texas Chooses a New Attorney General as Conservative Legal Power Shifts

Republican Mayes Middleton’s defeat by Democrat Nathan Johnson removes Texas from the ranks of Republican-led attorney general offices that have pursued conservative causes in court. With 94% of votes counted early Wednesday, Johnson had 52% and Middleton 46%. Johnson will be the first Democrat to hold the office since 1994.

Middleton had promised to continue the office’s legal fights for conservative priorities and President Donald Trump’s agenda. He campaigned on using the state’s resources to support Trump’s efforts, including on border security and deportations. Johnson, by contrast, says he intends to keep the office focused on state-level responsibilities and avoid making it a political stronghold.

The change follows Ken Paxton’s years as attorney general, when Texas sued the Obama administration 17 times and the Biden administration more than 100 times. One of those cases sought to overturn the 2020 election results and failed.

Johnson has listed shielding consumers, tackling corruption and enforcing child support as priorities, and says he will challenge the Trump administration if he believes it exceeds federal authority in Texas. The election leaves an open question about who will lead Republican attorneys general in national litigation, as Texas steps away from that role.