Texas will choose a new attorney general for the first time in more than a decade, as Ken Paxton leaves the office to run for U.S. Senate. Republican Mayes Middleton and Democrat Nathan Johnson are competing for the position.
Where
Statewide
When
October 2026
Sources
One outlet
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
Ken PaxtonCurrent Texas attorney general, running for U.S. Senate
Mayes MiddletonRepublican candidate for Texas attorney general
Nathan JohnsonDemocratic candidate for Texas attorney general
The facts
Texas attorney general's office has authority over consumer protection, child support and state litigation.1
Ken Paxton served as attorney general while developing a political alliance with President Donald Trump.1
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Houston Public Media Middleton and Johnson would approach the office differently on consumer protection and other matters.1
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Early voting in Texas has surged to 6.3 million voters as of Wednesday, a 50% increase from 4.2 million at the same point in the 2022 midterm election, five days before Election Day. Nationwide, over 43 million Americans had voted early, nearly 10 million more than in 2022. Storms are forecast across parts of Texas on Election Day Tuesday.
Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate; James Talarico, Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate; AccuWeather, Weather forecasting service and 1 more
Governor Greg Abbott held a "Let's Roll" Get-Out-The-Vote campaign event in Amarillo at Youngblood's Cafe on Oct. 30, 2026. He was joined by Representative Caroline Fairly and Republican House District 86 candidate Holly Jeffreys.
Greg Abbott, Governor; Caroline Fairly, Representative; Holly Jeffreys, Republican candidate for House District 86
Texas Democrat James Talarico made a masala dosa at Madira N Masala restaurant in Irving on October 29 during his Senate campaign. A video of him cooking the dish was shared by ABC News-affiliate WFAA and went viral on social media.
James Talarico, Democrat Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican, opponent in November 3 election; WFAA, ABC News-affiliate that shared the video
Democrats' main Senate super PAC is privately telling top donors that Texas offers their best shot at flipping a deep-red Senate seat, followed by Ohio. The PAC also sees victories in Iowa and Alaska as within reach.
Senate Majority PAC, Democrats' main Senate super PAC
October 30, 2026 marked the final day of in-person early voting in Texas before the November 3 general election. Early voting locations were open across the state through 8 p.m. Voters in Lubbock County could cast ballots at United Supermarkets, Market Street, Amigos and other locations.
Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden, announced statewide early voting total; Lubbock County Elections Office, administered early voting
Political TV ad sales and reservations for races in Texas have totaled more than $1 billion, according to the Texas Association of Broadcast. The U.S. Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico has drawn the most attention, with over $558 million spent on advertising across the primary, runoff and general election.
$more than $1 billion for TV ad sales and reservations for all Texas races
Ken Paxton, U.S. Senate candidate; James Talarico, U.S. Senate candidate; Michael Schneider, Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Texas Association of Broadcast and 1 more
With less than a week until Election Day on November 5, gubernatorial candidates Greg Abbott (Republican) and Gina Hinojosa (Democrat) are campaigning on different affordability plans. Senate candidates Ken Paxton (Republican) and James Talarico (Democrat) are also making final pitches to voters, with the race described as one of the most closely watched and costliest Senate races in history.
$Abbott's affordability plan includes eliminating school property taxes for homeowners and imposing spending limits on local governments to prevent tax increases. Hinojosa proposes taking funds from the state's rainy-day fund to provide household refunds.
Greg Abbott, Governor, Republican gubernatorial candidate; Gina Hinojosa, Democrat gubernatorial candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate candidate and 4 more
Texas voters cast ballots in 2026 midterm elections including a U.S. Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton, U.S. House races in redrawn districts, a gubernatorial race, state and local offices, and judges. The Senate race is described as hotly contested and Democrats' best chance in decades to win that seat.
James Talarico, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Texas Attorney General; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic candidate for Texas governor and 3 more