2022 Texas Attorney General election
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The 2022 Texas Attorney General election will take place on November 8, 2022, to elect the Attorney General of Texas. Incumbent Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is not term-limited as Texas does not prescribe term limits for state-wide elected officials. He is running for reelection.[1][2] Paxton is under an ethics cloud and has drawn several intra-party challengers who have made his legal troubles a centerpiece of their primary campaigns and point of distinction, while not distinguishing themselves on their ideology.[citation needed]
Republican primary[]
Candidates[]
Advanced to runoff[]
- George P. Bush, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office[3]
- Ken Paxton, incumbent attorney general[1]
Eliminated in primary[]
- Louie Gohmert, U.S. Representative for Texas's 1st congressional district[4]
- Eva Guzman, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas[5]
Republican candidates[a]
Land Commissioner
George P. Bush
from
Austin
Incumbent
Ken Paxton
from
Austin
Withdrawn[]
- Matt Krause, state representative from the 93rd district (running for Tarrant County district attorney)[6](Endorsed Gohmert)
Endorsements[]
 | This section may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. (August 2021) |
George P. Bush
- Former U.S. Executive Branch officials
- James Baker, former White House Chief of Staff (1992-1993), former United States Secretary of State (1989-1992) and former United States Secretary of the Treasury (1985-1988)[7][8]
- Sichan Siv, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (2001-2006)[7]
- U.S. Representatives
- Bill Flores, former U.S. Representative for Texas's 17th congressional district (2011-2021)[7]
- Kay Granger, U.S. Representative for Texas's 12th congressional district (1997-present), former Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas (1991-1995)[7]
- Ted Poe, former U.S. Representative for Texas's 2nd congressional district (2005-2019)[7]
- State senators
- Jon Bramnick, State Senator from New Jersey's 21st district (2022-present), former State Representative from New Jersey's 21st district (2003-2022) and former Minority Leader of the New Jersey General Assembly (2012-2022)[9]
- Charles Schwertner, State Senator from Texas's 5th district (2013-present) and former State Representative from Texas's 20th district (2011-2013)[7]
- State representatives
- Stefani Carter, former State Representative from Texas's 102nd district (2011-2015)[7]
- Sam Harless, State Representative from Texas's 126th district (2019-present)[7]
- Doug Miller, former State Representative from Texas's 73rd district (2009-2017)[7]
- Local officials
- Chris Boswell, Mayor of Harlingen, Texas (2007-present)[7]
- Otto Hanak, Washington County Sheriff (2013-present)[10]
- J.J. Koch, County Commissioner of Dallas County, Texas[7]
- Mattie Parker, Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas (2021-present)[7]
- Betsy Price, former Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas (2011-2021)[7]
- Jim Ross, Mayor of Arlington, Texas (2021-present)[7]
- Beto Salinas, former Mayor of Mission, Texas (1998-2008)[7]
- Josh Schroeder, Mayor of Georgetown, Texas (2020-present)[7]
- Jeff Wagner, Mayor of Pasadena, Texas (2017-present)[7]
- Anthony Williams, Mayor of Abilene, Texas (2017-present)[11]
- Organizations
- Individuals
- Reid Ryan, CEO of Ryan-Sanders Baseball Inc.[7]
Ken Paxton
- Former Presidents
- Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States (2017-2021)[13]
- U.S. Cabinet-level Officials[14]
- John Ashcroft, former U.S. Attorney General (2001-2005), former U.S. Senator from Missouri (1995-2001), former Chair of the National Governors Association (1991-1992), former Governor of Missouri (1985-1993), former Attorney General of Missouri (1977-1985) and former Auditor of Missouri (1973-1975)
- John Ratcliffe, former Director of National Intelligence (2020-2021), U.S. Representative for Texas's 4th congressional district (2015-2020), former Mayor of Heath (2004-2012) and former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas (2007-2008)
- Scott Turner, former Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (2019-2021)
- U.S. senators[14]
- Rick Santorum, former U.S Senator from Pennsylvania (1995-2007), former U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district (1991-1995)
- U.S. representatives[14]
- Van Taylor, U.S. Representative for Texas's 3rd congressional district (2019-), former Texas state senator (2015-2019) and former Texas State Representative (2010-2015)
- Pat Fallon, U.S. Representative for Texas's 4th congressional district (2021-), former Texas state senator (2019-2021) and former Texas State Representative (2013-2019)
- Dick Armey, former House Majority Leader (1995-2003) and former U.S. Representative for Texas's 26th congressional district (1985-2003)
- Statewide officials[14]
- Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas (1996–2007) and candidate for President of the United States in 2008 and 2016
- State senators[14]
- Brian Birdwell, President pro tempore of the Texas Senate (2021-present)
- Charles Perry, Texas state senator (2015-present)
- Craig Estes, former Texas state senator (2001-2019)
- Bryan Hughes, Texas state senator (2018-present)
- Drew Springer, Texas state senator (2021-present)
- Paul Bettencourt, Texas state senator (2015-present)
- State representatives[14]
- , former Texas State Representative (1999-2003)
- Dan Flynn, former Texas State Representative (2003-2021)
- Matt Schaefer, Texas State Representative (2013-present)
- David Simpson, former Texas State Representative (2011-2017)
- Steve Toth, Texas State Representative (2019-present)
- James White, Texas State Representative (2011-present)
- Rick Miller, former Texas State Representative (2013-2021)
- Ed Thompson, Texas State Representative (2013-present)
- Phil King, Texas State Representative (1999-present)
- Ron Simmons, former Texas State Representative (2013-2019)
- Jeff Leach, Texas State Representative (2015-present)
- James Frank, Texas State Representative (2013-present)
- Scott Sanford, Texas State Representative (2013-present)
- Jodie Anne Laubenberg, Texas State Representative (2003-2019)
- Stephanie Klick, Texas State Representative (2013-present)
- Jonathan Stickland, former Texas State Representative (2013-2021)
- Matt Krause, Texas State Representative (2013-present)
- Bill Zedler, former Texas State Representative (2003-2009; 2011–2021)
- Craig Goldman, Texas State Representative (2013-present)
- Giovanni Capriglione, Texas State Representative (2013-present)
- Tony Dale, former Texas State Representative (2013-2019)
- Matt Rinaldi, former Texas State Representative (2015-2019)
- Molly White, former Texas State Representative (2015-2017)
- Tony Tinderholt, Texas State Representative (2015-present)
- Local officials[14]
- Erick Erickson, former Member of the Macon City Council (2007-2011)
- Mark Keough, Montgomery County County Judge (2019-) and former Texas State Representative (2015-2019)
- Individuals[14]
- Cathie Adams, former chair of the Republican Party of Texas (2009-2010) and former Republican National Committeewoman from Texas (2008–2009)
- David Barton, evangelical Christian political activist and author
- Dana Loesch, commentator, radio and television host, author
- John Hagee, founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church and CEO of Global Evangelism Television
- David O. Dykes, former Senior Pastor, Green Acres Baptist Church
- Organizations[14]
- Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee
- Concerned Women for America of Texas
- Family Research Council Action PAC
- Gun Owners of America
- National Rifle Association
- FreedomWorks
- Huck PAC
- Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas
- Texans for Fiscal Responsibility
- Texas Patriots PAC
- Young Conservatives of Texas
- Dallas Police Association
- Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas
- San Antonio Professional Firefighter’s Association
Eva Guzman
- State-wide officals
- Thomas R. Phillips, Former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (1988-2004)[15]
- Wallace B. Jefferson, Former Associate Justice (2001-2004) and Former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2004-2013)[15]
- Ruby Kless Sondock, Former Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (1982) (Democratic)[15]
- Craig Enoch, Former Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (1993-2003)[15]
- Deborah Hankinson, Former Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (1997-2002)[15]
- Harriet O'Neill, Former Judge of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals of Texas (1995-1998) and Former Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (1999-2010)[15]
- Dale Wainwright, Former District Judge of the 334th Civil Court of Harris County, Texas (1999-2003) and Former Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2003-2012)[15]
- Scott Brister, Former Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2003-2009)[15]
- David Medina, Former Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2004-2012)[15]
- Phil Johnson, Former Chief Justice of the 7th Court of Appeals of Texas (2002-2005) and Former Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court (2005-2018)[15]
- Local officials
- Newspaper and other media
- The Houston Chronicle[18] (dual endorsement with Jaworski)
- Austin American-Statesman[19] (dual endorsement with Garza)
- Organizations
- Texans for Lawsuit Reform[5]
Louie Gohmert
- State representatives
- Matt Krause, Texas state representative from the 93rd district (2013–present) and former Attorney General candidate[20]
- Kyle Biedermann, Texas state representative from the 73rd district (2017-present)[21]
Polling[]
Graphical summary[]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
George P. Bush |
Louie Gohmert |
Eva Guzman |
Matt Krause |
Ken Paxton |
Other | Undecided | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson College | February 21–22, 2022 | 522 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 20% | 12% | 12% | – | 43% | – | 14% | ||||||
| UT Tyler | February 8–15, 2022 | 577 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 25% | 7% | 13% | – | 39% | – | 16% | ||||||
| YouGov/UT | January 28 – February 7, 2022 | 375 (LV) | ± 5.1% | 21% | 15% | 16% | – | 47% | 1% | – | ||||||
| UT Tyler | January 18–25, 2022 | 503 (LV) | ± 5.1% | 19% | 8% | 7% | – | 33% | – | 33% | ||||||
| YouGov/UH | January 14–24, 2022 | 490 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 16% | 13% | 8% | – | 39% | – | 24% | ||||||
| Krause withdraws from the race | ||||||||||||||||
| UT Tyler | November 9–16, 2021 | 401 (LV) | ± 5.3% | 32% | – | 7% | – | 46% | 7% | 8% | ||||||
| YouGov/UT/TT | October 22–31, 2021 | 554 (RV) | ± 4.2% | 16% | – | 2% | 3% | 48% | 3% | 27% | ||||||
| YouGov/TXHPF | October 14–27, 2021 | 405 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 17% | – | 6% | 2% | 50% | – | 25% | ||||||
| UT Tyler | September 7–14, 2021 | 348 (LV) | ± 6.7% | 28% | – | 5% | – | 43% | 14% | 10% | ||||||
| UT Tyler | June 20–29, 2021 | 337 (LV) | ± 6.1% | 34% | – | 4% | – | 42% | 12% | 8% | ||||||
Results[]
First Round[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ken Paxton (incumbent) | 814,906 | 42.7% | |
| Republican | George P. Bush | 434,485 | 22.8% | |
| Republican | Eva Guzman | 332,863 | 17.5% | |
| Republican | Louie Gohmert | 324,667 | 17.0% | |
| Total votes | 1,906,921 | >95.0% | ||
Runoff[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George P. Bush | |||
| Republican | Ken Paxton (incumbent) | |||
| Total votes | ||||
Democratic primary[]
Candidates[]
Declared[]
- Mike Fields, attorney and former judge of the Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 14[23]
- Rochelle Garza, former attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union[24]
- Joe Jaworski, attorney, mediator, and former mayor of Galveston[25]
- Lee Merritt, civil rights attorney[26]
- S. T-Bone Raynor, attorney[27]
Declined[]
Endorsements[]
Joe Jaworski
- U.S. Representatives
- Gene Green, former U.S. Representative for Texas's 29th congressional district[29]
- State senators
- José R. Rodríguez, former Texas state senator from the 29th district[29]
- Juan Hinojosa, Texas state senator from the 20th district[29]
- Gonzalo Barrientos, former Texas state senator from the 14th district[29]
- State representatives
- Donna Howard, Texas state representative from the 48th district[29]
- Terry Canales, Texas state representative from the 40th district[29]
- Sheryl Cole, Texas state representative from the 46th district[29]
- Ray Lopez, Texas state representative from the 125th district[29]
- Eddie Morales, Texas state representative from the 74th district[29]
- Elizabeth Campos, Texas state representative from the 119th district[29]
- Mary Ann Perez, Texas state representative from the 144th district[29]
- Labor unions
- International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers Local #66, #84, #135, #263, #482[30]
- United Steelworkers District 13[31]
- Individuals
- Barbara Radnofsky, attorney, nominee for U.S Senate in 2006 and Texas Attorney General in 2010[29]
- Jeremi Suri, historian, and the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at University of Texas at Austin.[29]
- Newspapers and other media
Lee Merritt
- U.S. Senators
- U.S. Representatives
- Sheila Jackson Lee, U.S. Representative for Texas's 18th congressional district[36]
- State senators
- Royce West, state senator from the 23rd district[36]
- Local officals
- Sylvester Turner, mayor of Houston and former Texas state representative from the 139th district[36]
- Organizations
- Texas Organizing Project[37]
Rochelle Garza
Polling[]
Graphical summary[]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Mike Fields |
Rochelle Garza |
Joe Jaworski |
Lee Merritt |
S. T-Bone Raynor |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson College | February 21–22, 2022 | 388 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 5% | 30% | 22% | 16% | 5% | – | 22% |
| UT Tyler | February 8–15, 2022 | 479 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 9% | 22% | 13% | 9% | 6% | – | 42% |
| YouGov/UT | January 28 – February 7, 2022 | 332 (LV) | ± 5.4% | 11% | 41% | 24% | 15% | 6% | 3% | – |
| UT Tyler | January 18–25, 2022 | 460 (LV) | ± 5.4% | 7% | 11% | 11% | 6% | 4% | – | 61% |
| YouGov/UH | January 14–24, 2022 | 616 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 6% | 13% | 10% | 7% | 6% | – | 57% |
| YouGov/UT/TT | October 22–31, 2021 | 436 (RV) | ± 4.7% | – | – | 14% | 8% | – | 6% | 72% |
| YouGov/TXHPF | October 14–27, 2021 | – (LV) | – | – | – | 20% | 20% | – | – | 60% |
Results[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Rochelle Mercedes Garza | 421,555 | 43.4% | |
| Democratic | Joe Jaworski | 190,793 | 19.6% | |
| Democratic | Lee Merritt | 188,038 | 19.3% | |
| Democratic | Mike Fields | 119,040 | 12.2% | |
| Democratic | S. T-Bone Raynor | 52,749 | 5.4% | |
| Total votes | 972,175 | 92.0% | ||
Runoff[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Rochelle Mercedes Garza | |||
| Democratic | TBD | |||
| Total votes | ||||
Libertarian convention[]
Candidates[]
Declared[]
General election[]
Predictions[]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[44] | Battleground | January 12, 2022 |
Polling[]
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Ken Paxton (R) |
Justin Nelson (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data for Progress (D)[A] | September 15–22, 2020 | 726 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 41% | 37% | 22% |
Notes[]
- ^ The images in this gallery are in the public domain or are otherwise free to use. This gallery should not be construed as a list of major or noteworthy candidates. If a candidate is not included in this gallery, it is only because there are no high-quality, copyright-free photographs of them available on the Internet.
- ^ a b c Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
- Partisan clients
- ^ Poll sponsored by the Defend Students Action Fund
See also[]
- Texas Attorney General
References[]
- ^ a b "TEXAS". Stateageelections.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ Gates, Billy (June 10, 2021). "Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announces bid for re-election in 2022". Kxan.com. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ "George P. Bush announces bid for Texas attorney general". The Hill. June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Roy, Reagan (November 22, 2021). "IT'S OFFICIAL: US Rep. Louie Gohmert announces he's running for Texas Attorney General". CBS. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Patrick, Svitek (June 21, 2021). "Eva Guzman, former Texas Supreme Court justice, officially starts campaign for attorney general". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (November 23, 2021). "Republican state Rep. Matt Krause drops out of attorney general's race to run for Tarrant County district attorney". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Leaders From Across Texas Have Endorsed George P. Bush". Georgepbush.com. June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ a b "George P. Bush Scrubs Endorsement From Indicted Sheriff Linked to the Oath Keepers". Rolling Stone. 2021-11-22.
- ^ Wildstein, David (November 15, 2021). "Bramnick raising money for George P. Bush in Texas race". Newjerseyglobe.com.
- ^ "HANAK ENDORSES GEORGE P. BUSH FOR TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL". Kwhi.com. October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
- ^ "ACU seeks political balance, but Texas AG candidate Merritt on historic mission". Abilene Reporter News. January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ @TexasYRs (19 October 2021). "Texas YRs are proud to endorse @georgepbush in his bid to be Texas' next Attorney General. Commissioner Bush has be…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Ward, Myah (July 26, 2021). "Trump endorses scandal-plagued Ken Paxton for Texas attorney general". Politico. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Endorsements". Kenpaxton.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j @EvaGuzmanForAG (3 August 2021). "I'm proud to announce the endorsement of 10 former Texas Supreme Court Justices. Appointed by Republican governors,…" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 January 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Facebook". Facebook.com. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "Facebook". Facebook.com. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "Editorial: We recommend Eva Guzman for Texas Attorney General in the Republican primary". Houston Chronicle. February 13, 2022.
- ^ a b "Editorial: In AG races, we recommend Guzman in GOP primary, Garza for Dems". Austin American-Statesman. February 20, 2022.
- ^ Taylor, Goldenstein (November 22, 2021). "State Rep. Matt Krause decides to run for Tarrant District Attorney, not Texas AG". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ @KyleBiedermann (21 January 2022). "1/3 I am excited to endorse my friend and a true patriot @LouieGohmertTX1 for Texas Attorney General! He has faithf…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Candidate Information". Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ Bureau, Austin; Goldenstein, Taylor (January 6, 2022). "Once a Republican, ex-Harris County judge Mike Fields running for Texas AG as a Democrat". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (November 1, 2021). "Former ACLU lawyer Rochelle Garza decides to run for attorney general after redistricting upends congressional campaign". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ Grieder, Erica (September 16, 2020). "Grieder: Texas AG Paxton draws 2022 challenger who vows to work across the aisle". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (July 13, 2021). "Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, a Democrat, launches campaign against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton". Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ "Qualified Candidates". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ "BIDEN AND TRUMP ARE RUNNING NECK AND NECK IN ARIZONA, FLORIDA, AND TEXAS" (PDF). Filesforprogress.org. September 22, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Endorsements". Joe Jaworski Official Campaign Website. 4 March 2021.
- ^ (1 February 2022). "I proudly share the news that I have received the endorsement of Iron Workers Local Unions #66, #84, #135, #263, & #482 for our campaign to restore integrity to the #TXAG. I am proud to stand with labor unions across TX & gratefully accept these endorsements. #TexasIronWorkers" (Tweet). Retrieved 1 February 2022 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ (12 February 2022). "Proud as can be to have the United Steelworkers @USWLocal131 endorsement for our campaign for the consequential office of Texas Attorney General. It stand will the Steelworkers and am grateful for their support! Onward!" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 February 2022 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Opinion: We recommend in the Democratic primary for Texas attorney general". The Dallas Morning News. February 10, 2022.
We recommend Galveston lawyer Joe Jaworski in this crowded Democratic primary for Texas attorney general.
- ^ a b "March 1 Democratic Primary Endorsements (No Filler)". The Austin Chronicle. 10 February 2022.
- ^ The Editorial Board (13 February 2022). "Editorial: We recommend Joe Jaworski for Texas Attorney General in Democratic primary". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ "Bernie endorses Lee Merritt for Texas Attorney General". Instagram. February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Barragán, James (February 23, 2022). "Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt takes heat for lack of Texas law license in his bid for attorney general". The Texas Tribune.
- ^ "Texas Organizing Project endorses Merritt for AG". Texas Signal. December 17, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ Rochelle Garza [@RochelleMGarza] (22 January 2022). "I am proud to receive the support of @VikkiGoodwinTX. She has always been a champion for improving the lives of Texans and has worked extensively on lowering healthcare costs, investing in public education and defending our right to vote. ¡She se puede!