State Sen. Nathan Johnson, who represents most of Oak Lawn, announced he would seek the Democratic nomination for attorney general.
The seat is currently held by Ken Paxton, who is not running for re-election. Instead, he is seeking to unseat Sen. John Cornyn on the Republican side.
Johnson has an uphill battle. A Democrat hasn’t won statewide office in Texas since 1994. In the primary he will face former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski, who ran for the position in 2022 and possibly Rep. Joaquin Castro, who is considering entering the race. When Johnson first ran for the Senate in 2018, he defeated incumbent Don Huffines and became the first Democrat elected to that seat in 30 years.
In the Senate, Johnson has concentrated on fixing the grid and maintaining state infrastructure. He is considered a moderate but has always supported LGBTQ+ causes and HIV legislation.
Johnson’s current term in the Senate runs until 2028, and he doesn’t need to resign to run.
“Today, I’m launching my campaign to become Texas’s next Attorney General,” Johnson wrote on X. “After years of corruption and abuse of the office, misplaced priorities, and bad management, Texas needs an AG who can meet the present moment — with strength, independence, and a genuine commitment to serve the people of Texas.”
— David Taffet