Chip Roy launches bid for Texas attorney general in 2026

Representative Chip Roy announced Thursday that he will run for Texas attorney general in 2026, aiming to succeed Ken Paxton, who is pursuing a U.S. Senate seat next year. Roy, a longtime member of the House Freedom Caucus and a former attorney, enters a crowded GOP primary field that already includes state Senators Mayes Middleton and Joan Huffman, as well as former Department of Justice official Aaron Reitz. The contest coincides with Paxton’s bid to unseat Sen. John Cornyn, creating a rare statewide high-stakes matchup within the Texas Republican Party.

Roy’s campaign launch centers on a broad defense of Texas’s traditional priorities and a confrontational stance toward what he calls threats from the federal government, political opponents, and outside interests. In a campaign video and accompanying statement, he framed the race as a continuation of a mission to defend “our God-given rights, for our families and for the future of Texas,” promising to fight “every single day” against what he described as open-border policies, “Soros-funded” prosecutors, and foreign influence. He also argued that Texans had experienced a recent rallying moment after devastating floods in the...