Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's decision to challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the 2026 GOP primary is creating an opening for a statewide office that comes with a high profile and a national reach.

Texas voters will see something they've rarely seen this century thanks to Attorney General Ken Paxton. When the Republican announced last week that he would run for the U.S. Senate, it set the stage for just the third open-seat battle for the attorney general's office since the year 2000.

Middleton is the second Republican to join what is expected to be a growing field of candidates angling to succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton as the state’s top legal official.