AUSTIN, Texas – Attorney General Ken Paxton held an early lead in Tuesday’s hotly contested GOP primary that has put a spotlight on the two-term incumbent’s legal troubles. But the race appears to be headed toward a runoff, a sign that Paxton’s support among Republicans may be wavering.
Early returns on Tuesday night showed Paxton with a slight edge over his three challengers, but still short of the majority needed to avoid another round of voting. Land Commissioner George P. Bush and former state Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman were locked in a battle for the second place slot. The runner up will advance into the next round.
East Texas congressman Louie Gohmert trailed in fourth, according to early returns from some of the state’s biggest counties.
Paxton is seeking a third term as the state’s top lawyer while facing an FBI investigation over corruption allegations and a six-year-old fraud indictment.
The Republican’s challengers are hammering him over the scandals they say make him vulnerable in November and show he lacks the integrity needed for the job.
Paxton denies any wrongdoing. Armed with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, he’s campaigning on a record of suing the Biden administration over its immigration and COVID-19 policies.
In the run-up to Tuesday’s GOP primary, the race turned nasty as polls showed the contest tightening and the candidates fought for a place in a likely runoff.
Bush went after Guzman in the race’s only televised debate, labeling her a “gutter politician,” while she blasted Bush, the nephew and grandson of two former presidents, as entitled and angry over her entry into the primary. Even Paxton jumped into the fray, launching an ad targeting Guzman over critical race theory. He also lashed out at Gohmert and accused the conservative firebrand of getting into the race last November only to funnel votes away from him.
Early returns in North Texas showed a close race. In Paxton’s home county, he carried 41% of the early vote. Among early voters, Guzman and Bush ran neck-and-neck in Collin, Tarrant and Dallas Counties – all of which Paxton carried.
On the Democratic side, early results also showed a runoff is likely. Former ACLU attorney Rochelle Garza held a wide lead over Former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski and Mckinney-based civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, according to the state’s early vote totals.
