Texas GOP primary for attorney general heads to runoff election

Incumbent Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will face a runoff election after failing to secure at least 50% of the vote in the Lone Star State’s Republican primary.

Democrats will also hold a runoff election for their party’s nomination for the position.

Paxton faced primary challenges from Rep. Louie Gohmert, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman. With 63% of precincts reporting, Paxton had secured 42% of the vote, with Bush in second place with 22%, although the latter has not yet been confirmed as the runoff opponent.

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Former President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton in the race, but the other Republican candidates sought to portray themselves as the most closely aligned with the former president. Some initially anticipated the race becoming a war between differing GOP factions, but Bush, despite his family dynasty, sought to highlight his allegiance to Trump.

But Paxton’s rivals took aim at his ongoing felony securities indictment and abuse-of-office allegations.

Bush argued that Paxton’s scandals and legal troubles could hand Democrats their first victory in a statewide race since the 1990s.

“When you look at folks like [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], for example, who come to Texas and say Texas is about to turn blue — well, she’s right if we nominate the wrong people as a party,” Bush recently told the New York Times.

Recent polling indicated that primary voters were more interested in Trump’s endorsement of Paxton than the felony charges he faces.

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Democrats seeking their party’s nomination for attorney general are also headed to a runoff, with Rochelle Garza leading the field but failing to meet the 50% threshold.