Mayes Middleton Holds Narrow Lead in Texas AG Race

Republican state Senator Mayes Middleton holds a narrow five-point lead over Democratic state Senator Nathan Johnson in the race to succeed Ken Paxton as Texas attorney general. A recent Texas Politics Project poll places Middleton at 40% support and Johnson at 35%, while Libertarian candidate Tom Oxford holds 3%. The race remains unusually competitive for a statewide Republican contest in Texas, with 22% of voters still undecided.

Middleton, who spent millions of his own money to secure the Republican nomination, campaigns on a law-and-order platform and proposes expanding the office's power to prosecute state crimes. He has accused Johnson of refusing to enforce the Texas Women's Privacy Act.

Johnson argues that Middleton intends to use the attorney general's office as a political tool. He has described the Texas Women's Privacy Act as a dumb law and unenforceable, maintaining that the office should instead serve as a check on the abuse of power in both the public and private sectors.