Combative U.S. Rep. Chip Roy jumps into crowded race for Texas Attorney General

Combative extreme-right lawmaker U.S. Rep. Chip Roy is the latest Republican to jump into the crowded race to replace Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Roy — whose district spans parts of both Austin and San Antonio — revealed his plans Thursday in a typically over-the-top statement in which he pledged to use the AG’s to punch back at “open-border politicians, radical leftists and faceless foreign corporations that threaten our sovereignty, safety and our way of life.”

“No more Soros-funded judges and DAs putting criminals on our streets,” declared Roy, who chairs the far-right Freedom Caucus. “No more judge-made mandates that Texas pay for illegals in our public schools. No more communities built on Sharia law.”

Elected to Congress in 2019, Roy’s regularly pissed off members of his own party, including President Donald Trump, by sandbagging Republican legislation that doesn’t fall in line with his desire to radically shrink the federal government. He’s also earned a reputation for making wild and inflammatory remarks, including claiming that COVID was a hoax and saying he wants to “ethnic cleanse” white progressives.

Prior to being elected to the U.S. House, Roy served as Paxton’s first assistant attorney general and also as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s chief of staff.

The congressman joins a slate of Republican candidates that includes Texas Sens. Joan Huffman and Mayes Middleton, former Paxton senior aide Aaron Reitz. Democrats running for the seat include Galveston attorney Joe Jaworski and Texas Sen. Nathan Johnson.

Roy jumps into the race with more than $2.5 million in campaign cash, according to the Texas Tribune.

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This article appears in Aug 21 – Sep 2, 2025.