Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) is mulling over a potential run for Texas attorney general, according to two sources close to the matter said. The same individuals said that Roy is considering returning to his home state and leaving Washington in the rear view mirror.
Roy has served as a member of Congress since 2019. Sources said the Texas Republican has mentioned a bid for the position, which is open as current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a fellow member of the GOP, has launched a campaign for the Senate against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Folks at The Hill reached out to Roy for a comment. He responded, “I’m always considering where I can best serve the people I represent to ensure we preserve and protect a free, secure, and prosperous Texas for generations to come.”
A number of Republicans are already running for Texas attorney general, including state Sens. Mayes Middleton and Joan Huffman, as well as Aaron Reitz, who previously worked in the Trump administration and for Paxton.
The 2026 cycle will be the first time the Texas attorney general post has been open since 2014, when Paxton won. The attorney general job in Texas is not subject to term limits.
Ascending to the job of Texas attorney general would mark an end to Roy’s tenure on Capitol Hill, which began as chief of staff for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and staff director for the Senate Judiciary Committee under Cornyn, and accelerated when he was elected to represent Texas’s 21st Congressional district in the House in 2018. He has since become a key member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and a critical player in the lower chamber.
Pretty much everyone in the Lone Star State is sick and tired of Cornyn, so it seems as if Paxton has a good chance at being victorious in a primary race against him to take the nomination. Will Roy be able to get enough support to win the race for attorney general? That depends on one thing: his standing with MAGA.
Roy was not a fan of the “big, beautiful bill” and some of his actions during both the debate and vote on the legislation turned some of the base against him, which he desperately needs. Whether or not he can somehow smooth over the MAGA crowd with some form of political penance remains to be seen, but if some kind of effort isn’t taken to heal the divide, he might forfeit any chance of taking home the win.
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