Mayes Middleton addresses the media in the Texas Capitol on July 13, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)
Texas state Sen. Mayes Middleton has won the Republican runoff for Texas attorney general.
The Associated Press called the race for Middleton at 9:57 p.m. EDT when he had a 55.8% to 44.2% lead over Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.
The runoff election comes after neither candidate obtained at least 50% of the vote in their respective primary races on March 3.
Despite pushing a hardline conservative agenda in the U.S. House—including authoring the SAVE America Act and co-founding the Sharia-Free America Caucus—Roy fell short of securing the party’s nomination.
While President Donald Trump has not weighed in on the race, Middleton secured endorsements from Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and his former primary opponent, Aaron Reitz.
“Middleton has established a record as one of the most conservative senators in Texas history,” Patrick wrote on X. “He will make the Texas Office of the Attorney General the strongest and most impactful AG office in the nation. He will work collaboratively with President Trump and the U.S. Department of Justice to protect our Constitution.”
Roy, meanwhile, described Middleton as a “fake attorney” who lacks legal experience. Nevertheless, Middleton’s record of advancing conservative legislation in the state Senate helped him win support from conservative voters.
During his time in the Legislature, Middleton also took a firm stance on transgender participation in sports. In 2023, he sponsored the Save Women’s Sports Act, which bars biological males from competing in women’s sports.
“He has led the charge against radical woke policies like DEI, ESG, Critical Race Theory, and allowing men in women’s sports,” Middleton’s campaign website states.
