Mayes Middleton defeats Chip Roy for Texas attorney general nomination

State Sen. Mayes Middleton defeated Rep. Chip Roy for the Republican nomination for Texas attorney general.

Middleton, who leads an independent oil and gas company, beat Roy in Tuesday's runoff. Roy conceded shortly after results came in and said he called Middleton to congratulate him.

"Just a little while ago, I called and congratulated @mayes_middleton for his victory in our race for the Republican nominee for Attorney General. I will have a full statement tomorrow. Onward," Roy wrote on X.

The contest turned bitter and costly. Both candidates presented themselves as stronger supporters of President Donald Trump and his agenda. Middleton spent roughly $17 million of his own money. Roy, a former Texas assistant attorney general and former chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz, received a late fundraising push from major donors.

Roy said his courtroom experience made him better prepared for the job. "Having been the first assistant attorney general makes me ready on day one, but it's also that I've been a prosecutor, I've been in court, I've sat in front of a judge, stood in front of a judge, argued cases, and he has never done any of those things. And we think those things should matter," he said.

Middleton attacked Roy's conservative record. He ran ads claiming Roy had "betrayed MAGA" and pointed to times Roy broke with Trump on policy. "Chip Roy is someone that has spent a decade fighting the president. He actually said President Trump committed impeachable conduct on the House floor," Middleton said.

Roy defended his record. "Everyone knows that I'm a longtime defender and supporter of the president's agenda, of the America First agenda, the MAGA agenda, but I'm also an independent thinker who will stand up and make the case," he said. He also charged that "MAGA is not something you just buy. My opponent thinks you can buy the brand."

Trump stayed neutral in the runoff. Middleton is expected to face Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson in November. Johnson nearly won his party's nomination in the primary and is running against former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski.

Paxton chose not to seek re-election and instead ran for the Republican Senate nomination against Sen. John Cornyn.