Sen. Mayes Middleton announces bid for Texas attorney general

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State Sen. Mayes Middleton, a Galveston Republican who is among the Legislature’s most conservative lawmakers, announced Tuesday he will run for attorney general next year, joining a growing field of hopefuls vying to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Middleton’s announcement comes one week after Paxton announced he would challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in next year’s primary and forgo reelection as the state’s top legal official. It will be the first open race for the office since Paxton was elected in 2014.

Middleton, 43, is the second major candidate to throw his hat in the ring to succeed Paxton, following John Bash, the Elon Musk lawyer and former U.S. attorney who announced his candidacy last week.

Middleton, an oil and gas businessman and prolific GOP donor, said in an email to supporters he would spend at least $10 million on his “campaign kickoff,” suggesting he might kick in even more throughout the race.

It will not be the first time Middleton has helped self-fund his campaign. He was elected to the Texas House in 2018 with a boost from Gov. Greg Abbott’s endorsement and nearly $2 million of his own money, helping him unseat an incumbent Republican in the primary.

After serving two terms in the lower chamber, Middleton easily won an open Senate primary for a Republican-dominated district southeast of Houston. The seat covers nearly all of Galveston County, about two-thirds of Brazoria County and a sliver of Harris County.

Middleton would have been up for reelection in 2026, meaning his bid for attorney general will create an open race for his Senate seat. He is allowed to retain his seat in the meantime and serve out the remainder of his term through January 2027, when he would be sworn in as attorney general if he wins.

Middleton received his law degree from the University of Texas Law School in 2008. He lists his company, Middleton Oil Co., as his place of primary practice.

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