Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), one of Congress’s most high-profile conservatives, was defeated in the GOP runoff for Texas attorney general on Tuesday.
Roy, who has served in the House since 2019, lost the nomination to state Sen. Mayes Middleton. When the Associated Press called the race, Roy trailed Middleton 44.3% to 55.7%.
Given that no Democrat has been elected attorney general since 1994, Middleton is widely expected to succeed Ken Paxton, the retiring three-term incumbent. Paxton opted to challenge Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in the GOP primary rather than seek a fourth term.
Middleton finished first in the March primary with 39.1% of the vote, while Roy received 31.6%.
Roy has built a national profile as one of the most outspoken conservative members of the House. He’s frequently opposed GOP leadership on spending and border policy.
Middleton leaned heavily on personal wealth throughout the race, spending more than $11 million of his own money attacking Roy.
WHAT TO WATCH IN THE HIGH-STAKES TEXAS PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTIONS
The race also reopened old tensions between Roy and Paxton. Roy previously called on Paxton to resign during the attorney general’s 2020 bribery and abuse-of-office scandal.
Neither candidate secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement ahead of the contest, though several congressional Republicans have rallied behind Roy.