A late surge in spending fueled by a West Texas businessman was insufficient to secure the Republican nomination for Texas attorney general for Rep. Chip Roy on Tuesday. Polls had consistently shown Roy, a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus, trailing behind Mayes Middleton, a state senator and oil company owner who self-funded his campaign and has never practiced law. However, nearly $5 million in donations from GOP megadonor Alex Fairly enabled Roy to narrow the financial gap in the final weeks of the race.
Despite this influx of cash, Middleton soundly defeated Roy, securing 56 percent of the vote when the Associated Press called the contest. Both candidates campaigned as staunch allies of former President Donald Trump, who remained officially neutral throughout the primary. Middleton branded himself as “MAGA Mayes” and questioned Roy’s loyalty to Trump, highlighting Roy’s past criticism of Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election and his characterization of Trump’s actions following the January 6 insurrection as “impeachable conduct.”
Fully embracing Trump’s conspiracy theories, Middleton asserted that Roy “fought to certify a stolen election on the House floor,” as reported by the Dallas Morning News. In response, Roy campaigned alongside Senator Ted Cruz, with whom he previously served as chief of staff, and garnered support from numerous national conservative influencers. Roy argued that his rare disagreements with Trump demonstrated his independence and maintained that Middleton was unqualified for the position of attorney general.
Middleton is now considered the frontrunner to replace Ken Paxton, who is running for the U.S. Senate, as the state’s top legal officer. On the Democratic side, State Senator Nathan Johnson won the primary election.
