3/4/2026 | USA | politics | ✓ Verified - politico.com

Rep. Chip Roy headed to runoff in Texas AG race

#Chip Roy #Texas Attorney General #Donald Trump #Ken Paxton #Republican primary #Runoff election #MAGA #Freedom Caucus

📌 Key Takeaways

Chip Roy advances to runoff against Mayes Middleton in Texas AG race
Trump withheld endorsement in the race to replace Ken Paxton
Primary became a 'fealty test' to Trump with candidates attacking Roy's past departures
Roy has led in polling and fundraising despite attacks
Trump's non-endorsement adds complexity to the race

📖 Full Retelling

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) will advance to a runoff in the Texas Attorney General race against state Sen. Mayes Middleton in late May after securing enough votes in the March 3, 2026 primary, as former President Donald Trump withheld his endorsement in the contest to replace Ken Paxton. The competitive primary transformed into a 'fealty test' to Trump, with Middleton and former DOJ attorney Aaron Reitz attacking Roy for his past departures from Trump's positions, particularly when Roy called for Attorney General Ken Paxton to resign after facing bribery and abuse charges. Roy, who serves as House Freedom Caucus policy chair and has represented Texas' 21st congressional district since 2019, has established himself as a conservative ideologue with strong polling numbers and fundraising capabilities. Despite the attacks from his opponents, Roy has secured endorsements from prominent conservatives like Sen. Ted Cruz and fellow Freedom Caucus representatives, positioning himself as the frontrunner in the upcoming runoff where his conservative credentials will be further scrutinized.

🏷️ Themes

Republican politics, Trump influence, Texas elections

📚 Related People & Topics

Texas Attorney General

Elected government official of the state of Texas

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Chip Roy

American politician (born 1972)

Charles Eugene "Chip" Roy (born August 7, 1972) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 21st congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, Roy took office on January 3, 2019. Before his election to Congress, he was chief of staff to Senator T...

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American politician and lawyer (born 1962)

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Entity Intersection Graph

Connections for Texas Attorney General:

👤 Ken Paxton 3 shared

👤 John Cornyn 2 shared

👤 List of Republican Party presidential primaries 1 shared

👤 Mayes Middleton 1 shared

👤 Chip Roy 1 shared

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