• Rep. Chip Roy announced his campaign for Texas attorney general, shaking up an already crowded Republican primary.
• The Austin Republican has a history of clashes with former allies, including Ken Paxton and President Trump.
• His candidacy tests whether his independence resonates with Texas voters amid ongoing GOP power struggles.

AUSTIN, Texas (TDR) — Chip Roy, the Austin Republican who built his reputation as a defiant conservative in Congress, declared Thursday that he will run for Texas attorney general, thrusting himself into a race already thick with heavyweights and controversy.

Roy, who once served as the top deputy to Ken Paxton, is now seeking to succeed his former boss. Paxton, facing political headwinds after years of legal battles, is leaving the office to pursue a U.S. Senate seat.

A conservative firebrand with Texas roots

Known as policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Roy has earned a reputation as both an ideological warrior and a procedural thorn in the side of leadership. He routinely slows or blocks GOP bills he deems insufficiently conservative, echoing his calls to shrink the federal government and restore state sovereignty.

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“Texas is under assault — from open-border politicians, radical leftists and faceless foreign corporations that threaten our sovereignty, safety and our way of life,” Roy said in his campaign launch. “It’s time to draw a line in the sand.”

Roy’s record in Washington includes leading efforts to reimburse Texas for border security spending and pressing for voter ID reforms requiring proof of citizenship. These stances echo the state’s larger legal fights against federal immigration policies.

Tensions with Trump and Paxton

Despite ideological alignment, Roy’s career has been punctuated by friction with Donald Trump. He certified the 2020 election results, opposed Paxton’s lawsuit seeking to overturn them, and described Trump’s behavior as “clearly impeachable conduct.”

Roy also called for Paxton’s resignation in 2020 after senior aides reported the attorney general to the FBI for alleged bribery and abuse of office. “For the good of the people of Texas and the extraordinary public servants who serve at the Office of the Attorney General,” Roy said at the time, Paxton should step aside.

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Those remarks could resurface in the primary, where Roy will face scrutiny from Trump loyalists and Paxton allies alike. Yet Roy insists the differences were political, not personal. “I wish Ken all the best,” he said Thursday on a Dallas radio program.

A wide-open field

The Republican field already includes state Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston, state Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston and Aaron Reitz, a former senior aide to Paxton and the Justice Department.

A recent poll by Texas Southern University — conducted before Roy entered the race — found that 73 percent of likely GOP voters were undecided. Huffman led with 12 percent, followed by Middleton at 8 percent and Reitz at 7 percent.

Political strategists note Roy enters with a $2.5 million federal campaign war chest, giving him a financial edge and substantial name recognition due to his frequent clashes in Washington. Analysts predict his candidacy will reshape the dynamics of the race.

A career built in Texas politics

Before his 2018 election to Congress, Roy cut his teeth as legal counsel to Sen. John Cornyn, directed state-federal relations under Gov. Rick Perry, and worked as chief of staff for Sen. Ted Cruz. He also helped Perry pen his federalist manifesto, “Fed Up!”

In 2014, Roy joined Paxton’s first attorney general team, managing early cases like the successful challenge to the Obama-era Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program. But he left less than two years later, the first of many staff departures under Paxton.

The stakes of Texas’ top lawyer

The attorney general’s office has long served as a legal bulwark for conservatives against Democratic presidents. Roy, however, argues that vigilance must remain even with a friendly White House.

“Ken and his team have done a great job fighting to defend Texas,” Roy said. “We’re going to continue that legacy going forward.”

Observers say Roy’s candidacy represents both opportunity and risk. His independence could win over grassroots conservatives tired of scandals, but it could also alienate Trump-aligned Republicans who view loyalty as paramount.

The question now is whether Texas voters are ready to embrace a conservative warrior who has never been afraid to buck his own side — or whether his clashes with Trump and Paxton will prove too heavy a burden.

Will Texas reward independence in a crowded GOP primary, or punish defiance in the age of loyalty politics?

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