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Texas Attorney General election, 2026 (May 26 Democratic primary runoff)

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2022
Texas Attorney General
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary runoff
Republican primary
Republican primary runoff
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 8, 2025
Primary: March 3, 2026
Primary runoff: May 26, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Texas

Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2026
Impact of term limits in 2026
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
Texas
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Agriculture Commissioner
Comptroller
Land Commissioner
Railroad Commissioner
State Board of Education (8 seats)

A Democratic Party primary runoff takes place on May 26, 2026, in Texas to determine which candidate will earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's attorney general election on November 3, 2026.


This page focuses on Texas' Democratic Party Attorney General primary runoff. For more in-depth information on Texas' Democratic primary, Republican primary, Republican primary runoff, and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Attorney General of Texas

Joe Jaworski and Nathan Johnson are running in the Democratic primary runoff for Attorney General of Texas on May 26, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of Joe Jaworski

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I dislike phonies. I don’t lie. I can’t be bought. And my reputation matters to me. That’s not a campaign slogan. It’s how I’ve lived my life. I’m a Democrat because I believe open, honest government is a classic American value. Government should tame the savageness of man and make life in this world more gentle, not crueler. That belief guides my work as a lawyer, my service as mayor of Galveston, and my decision to run for Texas Attorney General. I’ve been a Texas lawyer for more than 30 years. I still practice law full time while campaigning across this state. I return my own calls, texts, and emails because people deserve to know they’re being heard by the person asking for their vote. I’ve served eight years in public office, fought corruption in my own community, stood up to bullies and racists to deliver first-class public housing for working families, and paid a political price for doing the right thing. I’ve never regretted it. I’m running because my conscience compels me to put my experience and problem-solving skills to work for 32 million Texans. We deserve better than the daily abuses that now pass for government. If I do my job right, people will see what real public service looks like again."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Affordability - I will create and staff within the OAG a Division of Affordability focused on helping young adult Texans afford the American Dream (graduating debt free, getting a good job that pays good wages, home ownership or affordable rent and starting a family). 


Elections - I will create and staff within the OAG a Division of Elections and Voter Encouragement to register every high school senior pursuant to Texas Election Code section 13.046(d) and to reverse decades of voter suppression wrought by GOP/Tea Party/MAGA Texas politicians.


Corruption - I will create and staff within the OAG a Division of Ethics and Integrity which will investigate, and with local District Attorneys will take punitive action to respond to, credible complaints of fraud, corruption and crime within Texas Government. The Texas AG DEI will also advocate for term limits, campaign contribution limits, independent redistricting commissions and citizen initiated legislation by petition.

Image of Nathan Johnson

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "Senator Nathan Johnson is a Texas State Senator with a proven record of effective public service. He holds a B.S. in physics from the University of Arizona and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a litigator and mediator in the Dallas office of Thompson Coburn LLP, and has composed musical scores for the hit anime series Dragon Ball Z. Johnson is the proud father of three adult children, and enjoys swimming, reading boring books, and making peanut butter. He brings to the Attorney General’s race both policy depth and legal expertise, along with a reputation for taking on the most difficult problems, asking the hard questions, and working to fix what’s wrong no matter who or what stands in the way. Through his four sessions in office there runs a thread of defending constitutional principles, advocating for responsible, responsive government, and insisting on fairness and consistency in the law."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


I’m running to make the OAG run as it should. The OAG should perform the basics well: child support, oversight of various programs (including veterans), advising agencies and the Legislature. It should and must investigate and prosecute corruption instead of participating in it, enforce competition laws in the marketplace, and work with district and county attorneys instead of against them to keep communities safe. It should defend the state and individuals against the lawless infliction of damage by the Trump administration, in concert with Democratic attorneys general across the country. And under my leadership, it will.


As state senator, I have passed 135 bills, including legislation to increase penalties on polluters, protect consumers from AI scams and invasions of data privacy, throttle corporate scheming of tax breaks. I have also advanced legislation to reverse the regressive policies that undermine our rights, and battled the legislation that forms the basis of Ken Paxton’s headline machine. I’ve been on the frontline of virtually every Democratic battle, while also passing important legislation.


My experience in the Senate has given me a deeper awareness of how the laws we pass often depart from basic legal principles and the Constitution, and how they often produce unjust consequences. Our legal and constitutional frameworks – enshrining rights and process – are monuments of progress, and as Attorney General, I will not let anyone tear them down.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Texas

Campaign finance

The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
  • Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
  • State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
  • Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.


See also: Presidential voting trends in Texas and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, Texas
DistrictKamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
Texas' 1st26.6%71.9%
Texas' 2nd35.9%62.0%
Texas' 3rd37.5%60.1%
Texas' 4th37.5%60.5%
Texas' 5th39.6%58.6%
Texas' 6th37.2%60.6%
Texas' 7th63.9%33.9%
Texas' 8th39.3%58.8%
Texas' 9th46.6%51.6%
Texas' 10th39.9%57.6%
Texas' 11th33.1%64.7%
Texas' 12th38.9%58.9%
Texas' 13th26.0%71.9%
Texas' 14th37.4%60.7%
Texas' 15th51.4%46.8%
Texas' 16th68.1%28.8%
Texas' 17th39.7%57.8%
Texas' 18th81.2%17.1%
Texas' 19th25.4%72.5%
Texas' 20th68.7%28.8%
Texas' 21st38.6%59.0%
Texas' 22nd38.0%60.0%
Texas' 23rd44.8%53.0%
Texas' 24th39.2%58.5%
Texas' 25th40.4%57.7%
Texas' 26th36.9%60.7%
Texas' 27th39.1%58.8%
Texas' 28th60.6%37.4%
Texas' 29th71.8%26.4%
Texas' 30th77.0%21.2%
Texas' 31st37.7%59.7%
Texas' 32nd42.1%55.7%
Texas' 33rd71.0%26.7%
Texas' 34th51.7%46.3%
Texas' 35th46.7%51.0%
Texas' 36th39.4%58.9%
Texas' 37th78.8%18.1%
Texas' 38th37.5%60.5%
Source: The Downballot

2016-2024

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:


Following the 2024 presidential election, 41.8% of Texans lived in one of the state's 224 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 41.6% lived in one of 11 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Texas was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Texas following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Historical voting trends

Texas presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 16 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party D D D D D D D R D D D D D R R D D D R D R R R R R R R R R R R R

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Texas

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Texas.

U.S. Senate election results in Texas
RaceWinnerRunner up
202453.1%Republican Party44.6%Democratic Party
202053.5%Republican Party43.9%Democratic Party
201850.9%Republican Party48.3%Democratic Party
201461.6%Republican Party34.4%Democratic Party
201256.5%Republican Party40.7%Democratic Party
Average55.142.4

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Texas

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Texas.

Gubernatorial election results in Texas
RaceWinnerRunner up
202254.8%Republican Party43.9%Democratic Party
201855.8%Republican Party42.5%Democratic Party
201459.3%Republican Party38.9%Democratic Party
201055.0%Republican Party42.3%Democratic Party
200639.0%Republican Party29.8%Democratic Party
Average52.839.5
See also: Party control of Texas state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Texas' congressional delegation as of February 2026.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 13 13
Republican 2 25 27
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 38 40

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Texas, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorRepublican Party Greg Abbott
Lieutenant GovernorRepublican Party Dan Patrick
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Jane Nelson
Attorney GeneralRepublican Party Ken Paxton

State legislature

Texas State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 11
     Republican Party 18
     Other 0
     Vacancies 2
Total 31

Texas House of Representatives

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 62
     Republican Party 88
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 150

Trifecta control

Texas Party Control: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

The table below details demographic data in Texas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.

Demographic Data for Texas
Texas United States
Population 29,145,505 331,449,281
Land area (sq mi) 261,257 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White 53.9% 63.4%
Black/African American 12.2% 12.4%
Asian 5.3% 5.8%
Native American 0.6% 0.9%
Pacific Islander 0.3% 0.4%
Other (single race) 8.6% 6.6%
Multiple 19.2% 10.7%
Hispanic/Latino 39.5% 19%
Education
High school graduation rate 85.7% 89.4%
College graduation rate 33.1% 35%
Income
Median household income $76,292 $78,538
Persons below poverty level 13.8% 12.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

State profile

Demographic data for Texas
 TexasU.S.
Total population:27,429,639316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):261,2323,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:74.9%73.6%
Black/African American:11.9%12.6%
Asian:4.2%5.1%
Native American:0.5%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2.5%3%
Hispanic/Latino:38.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:81.9%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.6%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$53,207$53,889
Persons below poverty level:19.9%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Texas

Texas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Texas, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[1]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Texas had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More Texas coverage on Ballotpedia

See also

Texas State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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Texas State Executive Offices
Texas State Legislature
Texas Courts
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Texas elections: 20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.