The Federal Election Commission’s acting chairman is strongly considering a bid for the opening Texas attorney general’s seat next year, setting up a potential GOP clash of pro-Trump candidates for the highly influential position.
James E. “Trey” Trainor told Secrets and said in a post on X that he and his wife are mulling his run for the job, which opened when Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his bid to challenge the reelection of embattled Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
“Lucy and I have been truly overwhelmed by the incredible support and encouragement we’ve received from so many friends regarding the possibility of my running for Texas attorney general,” Trainor said.
“As always, my family and I will continue to pray and carefully discern whether seeking public office is the right path for us. We expect to make a decision soon and humbly ask for your continued prayers and support,” he added.
Lucy and I have been truly overwhelmed by the incredible support and encouragement we’ve received from so many friends regarding the possibility of my running for Texas Attorney General.
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— Trey Trainor (@TXElectionLaw) June 9, 2025
Trainor’s ties to President Donald Trump date back to the 2016 campaign. That year, he was general counsel to the Republican National Convention platform committee and helped block never-Trumpers.
He was nominated to the FEC by Trump in 2017 and won confirmation in 2020. Trainor’s term was up in 2023, but like virtually all recent commissioners, he has stayed on because replacements have not been nominated.
Trainor isn’t the only Trump ally eyeing the Texas attorney general seat. Last week, Semafor reported that Aaron Reitz, who was confirmed in a March Senate vote to be assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy, is also considering a bid. Reitz is also a Marine veteran of the Afghanistan War, worked for Paxton, and was chief of staff for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
In a statement to Secrets, Trainor said Reitz would be abandoning his DOJ post if he became attorney general.
“If Aaron Reitz leaves his position at the Department of Justice, he will have betrayed President Trump’s America First agenda. The president currently has many qualified individuals waiting for confirmation in the U.S. Senate, yet Reitz exploited his role to secure his own confirmation, merely checking a box to advance his personal political agenda. It’s evident that he never intended to fully serve the American people by faithfully supporting President Trump’s priorities,” Trainor said.
Reitz did not have an immediate reaction.
In his statement, Trainor was gracious to Trump for appointing him to the FEC, which regulates campaign spending, and expressed pride in helping steer the agency during the start of the second Trump administration.
“On July 1st, I will conclude my time as acting chairman of the Federal Election Commission and return to the vice chairmanship — a position to which my colleagues elected me last December. It has been an eventful and meaningful period, particularly as we worked through the implementation of President Trump’s executive orders,” he said.
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“Just recently, I marked my fifth anniversary as President Trump’s Senate-confirmed appointee to the FEC — a milestone I reflect on with deep gratitude,” he added.
At the agency, Trainor has muscled support to block Democrats from weaponizing the FEC against Trump and Republicans. He has also traveled internationally to observe elections and promote democracy.