Texas AG race turns on money, legal doubts, loyalty

Mayes Middleton, a Galveston state senator and a prolific GOP megadonor, surged to the front of Texas’ race to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton after winning the March primary. He will face U.S. Rep. Chip Roy in a May 26 runoff—an matchup defined by Middlet

When Mayes Middleton first showed up as a political donor. the checks came quietly—along with an ambition that his supporters say was always about ideology. not favors. Now. with his attorney general bid headed to a May 26 runoff. those same checks are front and center. and his rivals insist they’re something else entirely.

Middleton, a senator from Galveston, won first place in the March primary and will face U.S. Rep. Chip Roy in the May 26 runoff to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton. Roy has been blunt about what he believes is happening: that Middleton is trying to buy the race.

“I look at the amount of money being thrown around by my opponent. into groups that then endorse him. somebody tell me how that’s not a conflict of interest. ” Roy said at a recent campaign stop in Dripping Springs. He pointed to the scale of television ads and endorsements connected to candidates and groups Middleton and his supporters have backed.

Middleton did not respond to a request for comment. His supporters, many of them beneficiaries of his political generosity, say they’re backing him for the same reason he supported them—shared political beliefs and confidence that he’s the right fit for the job.

Matt Krause. a Tarrant County commissioner who served in the Legislature with Middleton and has received more than $300. 000 from him over the years. rejected the idea that Middleton is expecting a quid pro quo. “I look at it much more positively. like. this guy’s been willing to write a check to all these people to support them. because it was the right thing to do at the time. ” Krause said. He added that Middleton approached donations as partnership: “Hey. Matt. we’ve been in the battle together. we’ve walked arm and arm… you can trust me. and I would appreciate that support.”.

Middleton’s spending is not in dispute. He has spent more than $16 million of his own money on the Texas attorney general race so far—dwarfing his previous political spending by many times over. Roy and his backers argue that figure makes the intent hard to ignore.

That argument is the heart of the runoff fight: whether Middleton’s wealth is influence disguised as principle, or principle carried forward with a wallet powerful enough to reshape Texas politics.

The timeline that brought Middleton to this point has always been about money—just not always in the way Roy is charging now.

Over the last 15 years. Mayes Middleton built a reputation as a prolific GOP donor. spending millions of his oil and gas fortune on conservative candidates and causes. His largesse helped fund the rise of the hardline House Freedom Caucus and quietly enabled challenges to Attorney General Ken Paxton. In addition to backing campaigns. he gave to conservative causes. including Texas Values. Texas Right to Life. and the Texas GOP itself.

Middleton’s entry into public life was shaped by family wealth. His father. John Gregg Middleton. was deeply involved in Chambers County civic life—serving on city council and the board of the local bank and country club. Gov. Bill Clements. the first Republican elected to statewide office in Texas since Reconstruction. appointed John Gregg Middleton to the Trinity River Authority. according to his obituary. When John Gregg Middleton died in 2013. Mayes Middleton. an only child. inherited the oil company and the wealth that came with it.

As cracks deepened within the Texas Republican Party. Middleton threw resources into a newer. more hardline wing that sought to unseat the moderate. business-centric establishment. Empower Texans PAC. led by Michael Quinn Sullivan. emerged as a force at the Capitol fueled by major oil and gas money. Middleton donated more than $300. 000 over three years to Empower Texans PAC as it marshaled funds to pull the GOP sharply to the right. Empower Texans spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at primaries to unseat Republican legislators it saw as insufficiently ideological. and it helped usher in a new generation of uncompromisingly conservative warriors.

Middleton’s relationship with the hardline House Freedom Caucus began as a check before it became a seat. When the House Freedom Caucus launched in 2017. three-quarters of its initial members had received donations from Middleton; he would eventually support all but one. The caucus was created in direct opposition to then-Speaker Joe Straus. a San Antonio Republican who represented a more moderate. establishment arm of the party.

Krause—who described himself as one of the caucus’ founding members—said he and others gained respect because Middleton backed candidates who were less popular in Austin but fought for what he believed in. Middleton’s involvement began in specific districts and gradually turned into an attempt to change the direction of the party itself.

In 2014, Middleton gave two donations totaling $3,500 to Wayne Faircloth, who represented his home district in Galveston. Four years later, he decided to primary Faircloth. That was Middleton’s first foray into politics as a candidate rather than a donor.

That cycle marked a stark jump in spending. The average winning Texas House campaign cost $354,000, TransparencyUSA reported. Middleton spent $2.3 million, almost all out of his own pocket, outpacing the second most prolific candidate by more than $700,000. He won and joined the Freedom Caucus he had helped bankroll. He then continued to dole out major donations to a wide range of conservative lawmakers. as well as money to conservative causes.

Supporters frame that record as sincerity. Jonathan Saenz. president of Texas Values Action—its political arm supporting Middleton’s attorney general bid—said it matters that Middleton backs groups like theirs with more than words. “That says a lot to us. when someone wants to invest in the work that we do and not just support us with words. ” Saenz said. He pointed out that some people even among Republicans will not attend events. while “with [Middleton]. people can see the sincerity of his support for our work and our values.”.

In 2021, Middleton began eyeing a move to the Senate. Incumbent Larry Taylor planned to run again, but dropped out after Middleton made it clear he intended to challenge him. Taylor told the Galveston County Daily News that he tried to persuade him to wait. saying. “I’m just going to go one more time. why don’t you wait. but he’s ready to go and wanting to spend a lot of money.” Middleton did spend heavily: he gave himself $2.5 million that cycle despite having little in the way of primary opposition and no Democratic challenger.

While running for state Senate, Middleton also involved himself in the race for the attorney general office he now seeks.

In 2022, Paxton was up for reelection as scrutiny of his legal problems grew. Paxton faced an FBI investigation after eight of his top aides reported him to the FBI for alleged abuse of office, and he remained under felony indictment for securities fraud.

Krause, a long-time Paxton ally, joined primary challengers seeking to oust the incumbent. Krause said Middleton was his main campaign funder. describing their shared voting record in the House and saying he knew what Middleton’s principles were—adding that Krause believed he would “attack the office if I were to get into it.”.

Krause dropped out a few weeks later after U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert entered the race. Middleton gave Gohmert $300,000 and asked Krause to pass on the remains of his donation—$250,000—to the Gohmert camp.

Paxton then faced a runoff against Land Commissioner George P. Bush and won a third term. The following year, he was impeached by the Texas House. Middleton was reportedly one of several senators considering voting to convict Paxton, though he ultimately joined the majority in acquitting him.

Even with those past political collisions, supporters insist any feud has faded. Krause said Paxton planned to vote for Middleton. citing leaked audio obtained by Texas Bullpen in which Paxton said he plans to vote for him. “From what I understand, those two have talked not just once, but several times since then,” Krause said. “I’m sure those are hard conversations. especially with Attorney General Paxton at the beginning. but he’s willing to have those conversations.”.

Roy’s campaign is now testing whether Texas voters will accept those explanations as they weigh his accusations.

Middleton entered the attorney general’s race last spring when the field was still taking shape, quickly collecting endorsements from colleagues in the Legislature—many of whom had won their seats with financial support from Middleton.

Roy has hammered Middleton for “buying endorsements. ” as he told voters at the Dripping Springs event. and for the sheer scale of money he poured into the race. In recent weeks. Roy said big-name donors have stepped up to support him. motivated by frustration that Middleton was using his personal wealth to purchase the seat.

“They felt compelled to back me, not just to level the playing field, but to win,” Roy told The Texas Tribune.

Joshua Blank. the research director of the Texas Politics Project. said Roy’s line of attack is harder to land beyond the donor class. Blank pointed out a blunt reality of politics: politicians tend to give money to like-minded allies. who often return the favor. He said that money usually comes from candidates’ campaign coffers.

Blank also described why voters may not react the way Roy wants. “I don’t think the voters care where that money originated. whether that was through a federally regulated PAC in which the donors are clearly listed. or whether that money came from a Republican kingmaker of sorts. ” Blank said. As an example, he referenced Gov. Greg Abbott unleashing his war chest to unseat lawmakers opposed to school vouchers.

Roy has taken aim at more than fundraising. He has criticized Middleton as unqualified for the role. Roy’s argument hinges on Middleton’s experience compared to his own: while Roy worked as a federal prosecutor and as Paxton’s first assistant at the attorney general’s office. Middleton has a law degree but has worked exclusively for his family company.

Middleton’s endorsers reject the “unqualified” framing. Saenz said voters are responding to leadership and temperament as much as résumé details. “People know him and have faith in his ability to lead. and he’s shown a commitment to working on things at the state level and connecting with people and the party around the state. ” Saenz said. “His track record is what’s getting voters to go to the polls. It takes more than just the ability to fund a campaign.”.

Blank said self-funded campaigns typically underperform compared to more traditional campaigns because donors are engaged voters and raising money activates networks. Middleton, however, “bucked that trend,” a sign Blank said the message is resonating regardless of who is paying to get it out there.

“It would be silly to say that his profile as a donor hasn’t helped his rise in the party,” Blank said. “But it’s also the case that his willingness to put his money where his mouth is and support the MAGA message is of value to Republicans who believe it’s a value.”

By the time Texans reach the May 26 runoff, they will be deciding what Middleton’s money really means—whether it’s a shortcut to influence, or a long-planned strategy for remaking the party from within.

Middleton has already proved he can win. Roy has shown he believes he can draw a line voters can see. The question now is whether the clash will land as a story about cash—or about whether Republican Texas is ready for more of the politics that cash can buy.

Texas AG race Mayes Middleton Chip Roy Ken Paxton runoff May 26 House Freedom Caucus Empower Texans oil and gas donor