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CBS News
a day ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Two Democrats enter Texas attorney general race as Paxton sets sights on U.S. Senate
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's decision to run for the U.S. Senate has opened a rare vacancy in statewide office, triggering a crowded race to replace him — with at least five candidates, including two Democrats and three Republicans, already launching campaigns for attorney general. Last Tuesday, Dallas County Sen. Nathan Johnson kicked off his campaign. He was first elected to the state Senate in 2018. And on Thursday, former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski said he wants the nomination. Jaworski ran for the same office in 2022, losing the democratic nomination in a runoff. Three Republicans want to be the next attorney general, including state senators Joan Huffman of Houston and Hayes Middleton of Galveston. Aaron Reitz, a former Justice Department attorney, is also in the race for the nomination. They all want to replace Paxton, who is leaving the office to run for U.S. Senate. He is in a primary challenge against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. The attorney general's race is a rare open seat in the state, as Paxton was elected the 51st attorney general of Texas in 2014. In May, a poll by Super PAC Senate Leadership Fund showed Cornyn trailing Paxton by 16 percentage points, 56% to 40%. The poll, conducted between April 27 and May 1, showed that in a general election, Cornyn would beat former Democratic Congressman Colin Allred of Dallas by six percentage points, while Houston-area Congressman Wesley Hunt has a one percentage point lead, and Paxton is behind Allred by one percentage point. Cornyn spoke with reporters in May about a previous internal poll showing him trailing Paxton. He said he worries that if Paxton becomes the Republican nominee, he would lose to a Democrat. "The last thing we need to do is provide an opportunity for Democrats to get a beachhead in Texas," said Cornyn. "Which, depending on how the primary turns out, could happen. That would be the end of Texas being red."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat Joe Jaworski to run for Texas attorney general again
Joe Jaworski, an attorney and former Galveston mayor, is running for Texas attorney general again, three years after making an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination to become the state's top civil lawyer. Jaworski will face another competitive primary this cycle, with state Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, launching his own bid for attorney general earlier this week. Since his 2022 runoff loss, Jaworski said he has spent much of the last three years reflecting on how he can best serve Texas, as well as building name recognition through social media and a radio show. He said his 35 years as an attorney 'fighting for clients' constitutional and civil rights against notorious offenders and wrongdoers,' as well as his term as Galveston mayor, have equipped him to lead the attorney general's office. 'AG, to me, that's the sweet spot in state government if you want to make a change in one office,' he said in an interview, adding that he was running 'to be an advocate for the people of Texas, rather than a general counsel for a political party.' In 2022, Jaworski eked out a second-place finish in the March primary, finishing well behind civil rights attorney Rochelle Garza, who went on to easily defeat him in the runoff. 'I immediately endorsed Ms. Garza, and I was sad to see her lose to the most reprehensible attorney general in America,' Jaworski said. 'Maybe it wasn't my time then, but I feel that the time is right now.' He said he is better prepared this time, with a stronger team that includes campaign manager Diana Arévalo, a Democratic strategist who served one term representing San Antonio in the Texas House. As Garza's 10-point defeat showed, Democrats face a tough road to statewide office in Texas. Jaworski is hopeful that he'll benefit from a midterm boost akin to 2018, when Texas Democrats had their strongest showing in years, as well as the first attorney general's race in over a decade without an incumbent on the ballot. With Paxton forgoing reelection to run for the U.S. Senate, a crowded GOP field has shaped up to succeed him on the ballot, including state Sens. Joan Huffman of Houston and Mayes Middleton of Galveston and former Department of Justice attorney Aaron Reitz. Jaworski predicted that by November 2026, there would be a 'growing sense of alarm' among moderate Republicans opposed to some of Trump's more extreme policies, and whoever wins the Democratic nomination for attorney general will be facing an opponent 'who will be parroting Trump's talking points. And I think that person will be very vulnerable.' He plans to roll out a platform in the coming weeks but said his focus would be on things like making it easier for eligible Texans to vote, including encouraging more high school students to register, and consumer protection, as well as pivoting away from the office's current focus on blocking liberal policies from going into effect. 'Texas specifically needs a Democrat to serve as attorney general to investigate corruption, to hold those who are corrupt responsible, and to form coalitions with other states attorneys general to fight the administration's assault on individual rights and on the United States Constitution,' Jaworski said. Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual , happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas' most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now and join us this November. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson announces run for Texas attorney general
State Sen. Nathan Johnson is running for Texas attorney general, the three-term Dallas Democrat announced Tuesday. He told The Texas Tribune that, if elected, he would look to restore 'faith and confidence' in an agency he believes has been stained by scandal and spectacle. 'It's been so long since people, broadly speaking, thought of the attorney general's office as a place where they have an attorney, an elected official on their side,' he said. 'And that's wrong.' Johnson, a business litigator at Thompson Coburn in Dallas, is the first major Democrat to enter the race. Two other state senators, Joan Huffman of Houston and Mayes Middleton of Galveston, are running in the Republican primary, alongside former Department of Justice lawyer Aaron Reitz. The position is open for the first time in more than a decade after Attorney General Ken Paxton decided to challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in next year's GOP primary. Johnson faces strong headwinds: No Democrat has won statewide office in Texas since 1994, and whoever wins the Democratic nomination will likely face a formidable GOP opponent. Middleton is well-funded, Huffman has a long legislative record and Reitz has already garnered significant backing from allies in conservative legal circles. But Johnson has experience winning tough races. As a political newcomer in 2018, he unseated Republican incumbent Don Huffines, becoming the first Democrat to win the North Dallas district in three decades. That was also a midterm year, where discontent over President Donald Trump's policies pushed Democrats to turn out at the polls and made mainstream Democrats like Johnson seem more palatable to independents and moderate Republicans. Johnson is hopeful that a similar midterm environment — and a campaign focused on fundamental shifts to the rule of law, weakening of the separation of powers and undermining of Texas' independence by the federal government — will lead some right-leaning voters to consider a Democrat. 'I'm not going to use the office to do what the Biden administration says or what the Trump administration says,' Johnson said in an interview. 'I'm going to use the office to do what it's supposed to do, which is to make sure that everybody knows the rules and that everybody follows the rules, and then if you don't follow the rules, there's consequences.' Over the last 20 years, the Texas Office of the Attorney General has led the charge among red states to aggressively litigate against Democratic presidents' agendas. Paxton's predecessor, now-Gov. Greg Abbott, started this trend, famously saying, 'I go into the office, I sue the federal government and I go home.' Paxton went even further, bragging about suing the Biden administration more than 100 times in four years. Johnson criticized Paxton for not bringing similar lawsuits against Trump, even when it might benefit Texas. He pointed to the 24 states that recently sued to release close to $7 billion in education funding. 'Why didn't we join that suit? Because [Paxton] doesn't want to challenge the Trump administration,' Johnson said. 'And that goes to the independence I think this office needs.' He also hopes to win over voters by promising a scandal-free tenure. During his time as Texas' top lawyer, Paxton was indicted for fraud, investigated by the FBI and impeached by the GOP-controlled state House. The Senate acquitted him; Johnson, along with every other Democrat in the chamber and two Republicans, was part of the outnumbered minority that voted to convict Paxton. Virtually all of those legal woes have been resolved in recent months, but the allegations — and Paxton's personal life — have been a cloud over the agency. Johnson said, among other priorities, he would focus on restoring some of the agency's less flashy obligations, like investigating Medicaid fraud and enforcing consumer protection laws. 'There's always good people there doing some good work, but the priorities have not always been good,' he said. 'I think we are talking about a fundamental shift in priorities in that office, that much is for sure.' Johnson has worked closely with Middleton and Huffman in the 31-member Senate and said he respected them personally. But he said voters could expect to get 'essentially a fourth-term Ken Paxton' if they elect any of the Republican candidates. 'The office is going to be used for political ends and not directed to the benefit of the people,' he said. 'Paxton has stained the office and I don't think the other people running are the right people to clean it up.' This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson to run for Texas attorney general
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nathan Johnson, Democratic state senator, jumps into attorney general race
The Brief State Sen. Nathan Johnson announced his run for Texas attorney general Tuesday. Johnson is the first Democrat to enter the race. Three Republicans: Joan Huffman, Mayes Middleton and Aaron Reitz are also running for the position. DALLAS - State Sen. Nathan Johnson announced Tuesday that he is running for Texas attorney general. The Dallas Democrat is in his third term in the Texas Senate. What they're saying "After years of corruption and abuse of the office, misplaced priorities, and bad management, Texas needs an AG who can meet the present moment – with strength, independence, and a genuine commitment to serve the people of Texas," Johnson said on X. While Johnson is the first Democrat to enter the race, the field to replace current Attorney General Ken Paxton is already getting crowded. Two Republican state senators, Joan Huffman and Mayes Middleton, are running in the Republican primary. Former Department of Justice lawyer, Aaron Reitz, is another candidate on the Republican side. The position opened after Paxton announced he would challenge John Cornyn for the U.S. Senate. In his campaign announcement, Johnson said he wanted to be an attorney general that has a "genuine commitment to serve the people of Texas." "Texas needs and deserves an attorney general who won't take orders from Washington DC or from mega-donors, but who will toke on market abuse and political corruption; who isn't driven by party shot-callers or political ambition, but by a commitment to serving the people of this state; who will uphold out freedoms and protect our rights, and who respects and understands the law," Johnson said. The Source Information on Johnson's announcement comes from Sen. Nathan Johnson. Information on other candidates for attorney general come from their respective campaign sites and previous FOX reporting.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Nathan Johnson announces bid for Texas attorney general
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for attorney general. In a statement, a spokesperson for his campaign said he will focus on 'restoring integrity' to the Office of the Attorney General. 'Senator Johnson currently represents nearly 1 million constituents in Dallas County in the Texas Senate and has led major legislative efforts on energy, healthcare and government accountability,' the campaign wrote. Johnson was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2018, representing District 16, unseating then-Sen. Don Huffines, who is now running for comptroller. In his time in the Senate, he has focused on the electric grid and state infrastructure, according to his Senate web page. He is now the first to enter the Democratic primary, which will be held March 3, 2026. If he wins the nomination, he will face an uphill battle running against one of three Republicans in the race — Sens. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, as well as Aaron Reitz, a former Department of Justice attorney. The attorney general's seat is open after Attorney General Ken Paxton decided to challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in his primary. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
