Democrat drops 7-figure ad buy in Texas attorney general race

The Democratic candidate for Texas Attorney General launched a seven-figure television ad buy on Monday amid signs of the party’s momentum in the red Lone Star State.

Nathan Johnson, a Democratic state senator, argues in the ad that “Texas could use a good lawyer” to replace current Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), the scandal-clad prosecutor who’s running in the state’s high-profile Senate race.

The 30-second spot focuses on a May interview with KHOU in which candidate Mayes Middleton, a Republican state senator and oil and gas executive , said he did not think the office had become too political.

“After 12 years of Ken Paxton in office, we need an Attorney General who will put the rule of law over politics and the public good over a personal agenda,” Johnson says in the ad, which is running statewide through Election Day, according to a release from the Democrat’s campaign.

Polling has been sparse in the race, but the latest numbers indicate the race for the typically red seat could be closer than expected.

An August poll from the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project found Middleton up by 5 percentage points, with 40 percent to Johnson’s 35 percent and 21 percent undecided.

A September Texas Southern University poll found Middleton ahead by 5 percentage points, with 47 percent to Johnson’s 42 percent and another 9 percent undecided.

Middleton defeated Rep. Chip Roy (R) in a contentious runoff as he touted his alignment with President Trump. Johnson also won a runoff as he promised to reform the office.

They’re jostling to replace Paxton, whom Democrats have long accused of politicizing the office as he moved aggressively to challenge the Biden administration and support Trump into his second term. Paxton’s tenure as the state’s top law enforcement official has also been plagued by controversy, including an unsuccessful 2023 impeachment on corruption charges.

Johnson contended in a release from his campaign that Paxton turned the office into “a private law firm for the far right.”

Middleton, however, has previously said “the most important thing in the attorney general’s role is defeating the left.”

The Texas attorney general’s office has played a key role in shaping conservative politics — and it’s also served as a political springboard for higher office, with an alumni list that includes Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

Though Middleton maintains the polling lead, the race comes against the backdrop of a promising political environment for Texas Democrats, who have struggled for decades to pull off a statewide win.

The Texas Senate race is now a toss-up, according to Decision Desk HQ, with Paxton trailing state Rep. James Talarico (D) in the latest polling averages.