U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) has officially announced his campaign for Texas attorney general, joining a crowded Republican primary to replace current Attorney General Ken Paxton. This will be the state's first open attorney general race since 2014, as Paxton is running for the U.S. Senate.
“Texans’ next attorney general must have a proven record of fighting to preserve, protect, and defend our legacy,” Roy said in his campaign launch video.
Roy, who has served in the House since 2019, is a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus. He will face several other Republican challengers, including state senators Mayes Middleton and Joan Huffman, and Aaron Reitz, a former official in the Trump administration and a previous employee of Paxton's.
Roy has had a complicated relationship with both Paxton and President Donald Trump. While he previously served as an assistant attorney general under Paxton, Roy called for his resignation in 2020 amid bribery allegations. Roy has also clashed with President Donald Trump on fiscal issues.