Trending Now - Texas AG Race: Democrat Johnson Challenges Republican Middleton

WHO:

NPR - Ken Paxton won the Republican Senate primary runoff against John Cornyn by a margin of 27 points.

KERA News - Rep. Julie Johnson lost to former Rep. Colin Allred in the Democratic primary for a newly renumbered, safe blue seat.

PBS - Rep. Christian Menefee defeated veteran Rep. Al Green in a Democratic primary runoff for a Houston-area district.

KERA News - Nathan Johnson, a state senator from Dallas, will face Republican Mayes Middleton in the November election for Texas Attorney General.

KERA News - Mayes Middleton is a state senator representing the 11th district and an oil and gas executive.

NPR - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, state Rep. James Talarico, Rep. Al Green, Rep. Christian Menefee, state Senator Nathan Johnson, state Senator Mayes Middleton, former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, political science professor Cal Jillson.

WHAT:

The Texas Tribune - The Texas Attorney General race is the first open race for the position in more than a decade.

KERA News - Johnson stated, “I need to hit a threshold where I can communicate with everybody in Texas who I am. After that, they're just buying the same votes or turning off the same people over and over again."

NPR - The Cook Political Report moved the Texas Senate race from rated as Likely Republican to Lean Republican following Paxton's victory.

PBS - Al Green, who served in Congress since 2005, lost to Menefee, marking him as the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his seat.

PBS - Menefee stated, "You probably see me smiling and it's because it's because this is not the end. This is the beginning of a new chapter."

NPR - The Texas Senate race is now the second most expensive race in the country this year, with over $108 million spent, following the California governor election.

NPR - Republicans have spent almost $75 million of the total amount in the Texas Senate race.

NPR - A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll from mid-April indicated that state Rep. James Talarico was ahead of each Republican candidate by roughly the same amount.

NPR - Nearly 1 in 5 voters polled had not made their minds up in the race between a Republican and Talarico.

NBC News - Ken Paxton won the Republican Senate primary runoff against John Cornyn, which has made the Texas Senate race more competitive.

The Texas Tribune - Mayes Middleton put almost $17 million of his own money into the attorney general race, making it the most expensive attorney general’s race in U.S. history.

NPR - The Cook Political Report moved the Texas Senate race from rated as Likely Republican to Lean Republican following Paxton's victory.

KERA News - Johnson's campaign fundraising reached six figures, while Middleton's campaign was significantly higher due to his personal wealth.

KERA News - Johnson stated, “I don't need as much money. I need enough money. I need to hit a threshold where I can communicate with everybody in Texas who I am."

NPR - Ken Paxton won the Republican Senate primary runoff against John Cornyn.

KERA News - Nathan Johnson received almost 60% of the vote in the Democratic runoff for Texas Attorney General.

KERA News - Mayes Middleton received about 56% of the vote in the Republican primary for Texas Attorney General.

NPR - The Texas Senate race is the second most expensive race in the country this year, with over $108 million spent.

KERA News - Johnson's campaign fundraising reached six figures, while Middleton's was significantly higher due to personal wealth.

WHERE:

KERA News - Texas, specifically mentioning Dallas and the 11th district for Middleton.

WHEN:

KERA News - The Democratic contest for Texas AG was called for Johnson shortly before 9 p.m. on the night of the runoff.

WHY:

NPR - The defeat of Rep. Al Green was seen as a sign that voters are ready for new leadership in Washington.

PBS - Menefee's victory was attributed to a Republican-led redistricting effort that created a new district, diluting Democratic power.

NPR - The race highlighted that Texas Republicans' redistricting efforts might be working, as evidenced by the ousting of longtime Democratic Rep. Al Green.

The Texas Tribune - The race highlighted the GOP's continued loyalty to Trump, as Middleton criticized Chip Roy for his past comments about Trump’s conduct during the January 6 attack.

KERA News - The GOP runoff for the AG nomination focused on who is the true MAGA candidate, with Middleton emphasizing his alignment with Trump's agenda.

KERA News - The GOP runoff for the AG nomination focused on who is the true MAGA candidate.

KERA News - Johnson stated he does not need to match Middleton’s fundraising levels to win in the general election, emphasizing the need to communicate effectively with voters.

HOW:

The Texas Tribune - Middleton's campaign utilized millions in personal funds for television ads and mailers to promote his loyalty to Trump, which helped him overcome Roy's initial name recognition advantage.

PBS - Menefee criticized the state's electoral process, stating, "Republicans have made this hard on purpose... They drew maps designed to dilute our power."

NPR - The GOP runoff for the AG nomination focused on who is the true MAGA candidate, with Middleton emphasizing his alignment with Trump's agenda.

The Texas Tribune - Middleton utilized millions in personal funds for television ads and mailers to promote his loyalty to Trump, which helped him overcome Roy's initial name recognition advantage.

KERA News - Middleton's campaign utilized his personal wealth to bolster campaign funds, while Johnson's campaign strategy emphasized effective communication over matching fundraising levels.

KERA News - Middleton used personal wealth to bolster his campaign funds.

KERA News - Johnson has authored 433 bills since taking office as a state senator in 2019, with 134 passing into law.

(UPDATED May 28, 2026 08:16 UTC)

Ken Paxton has won the Republican Senate primary runoff against John Cornyn by a significant margin of 27 points, marking the first open race for Texas Attorney General in over a decade. In the Democratic primary, former Rep. Colin Allred defeated Rep. Julie Johnson, who expressed the need to connect with voters across Texas to establish her identity. Following these developments, the Cook Political Report has shifted the Texas Senate race from Likely Republican to Lean Republican, reflecting a growing desire for new leadership among voters.

(UPDATED May 28, 2026 06:20 UTC)

In a surprising turn of events, Rep. Christian Menefee has defeated veteran Rep. Al Green in a Democratic primary runoff for a Houston-area district, making Green the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his seat after serving in Congress since 2005. Following his victory, Menefee expressed optimism, saying, "You probably see me smiling and it's because this is not the end. This is the beginning of a new chapter," while also criticizing the state's electoral process for being designed to dilute Democratic power due to a Republican-led redistricting effort.

(UPDATED May 27, 2026 23:21 UTC)

The Texas Senate race has become the second most expensive in the country this year, with over $108 million spent, trailing only the California governor election. Republicans have contributed nearly $75 million to this total, and a recent poll from the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project shows state Rep. James Talarico leading against each Republican candidate by a similar margin, although nearly one in five voters remain undecided. Meanwhile, the GOP runoff for the Attorney General nomination is centered around who can claim the title of the true MAGA candidate, with Middleton highlighting his strong alignment with Trump's agenda.

(UPDATED May 27, 2026 17:57 UTC)

Nathan Johnson, a state senator from Dallas, will face Republican Mayes Middleton in the upcoming November election for Texas Attorney General. Middleton, who represents the 11th district and is also an oil and gas executive, has invested nearly $17 million of his own money into the race, making it the most expensive attorney general’s race in U.S. history. The competition has intensified following Ken Paxton's victory in the Republican Senate primary runoff, with Middleton emphasizing his loyalty to Trump while criticizing Chip Roy for past comments regarding Trump's actions during the January 6 attack.

(UPDATED May 27, 2026 14:30 UTC)

The Cook Political Report has shifted the Texas Senate race from Likely Republican to Lean Republican following Paxton's recent victory. In the midst of this, Johnson's campaign has reached six figures in fundraising, but Middleton's financial backing is significantly higher thanks to his personal wealth, which he has used to enhance his campaign. Johnson emphasized his focus on effective communication, stating, “I don't need as much money. I need enough money. I need to hit a threshold where I can communicate with everybody in Texas who I am."

(UPDATED May 27, 2026 12:05 UTC)

In a significant development in Texas politics, Ken Paxton has won the Republican Senate primary runoff against John Cornyn, while Nathan Johnson secured nearly 60% of the vote in the Democratic runoff for Texas Attorney General. Mayes Middleton also made headlines by receiving about 56% of the vote in the Republican primary for the same position, and the Texas Senate race has become the second most expensive in the nation this year, with over $108 million spent. Johnson, who has authored 433 bills since taking office, emphasized that effective communication with voters is more important than matching Middleton's fundraising levels, which were bolstered by his personal wealth.