The 2022 Texas Attorney General election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the Attorney General of Texas. Incumbent Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton won re-election to his third term. Paxton won 233 counties and won the popular vote by a margin of 9.7%, underperforming Governor Greg Abbott's concurrent bid for re-election by 1.1%.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Ken Paxton, incumbent attorney general
Eliminated in runoff George P. Bush, commissioner of the Texas General Land Office
Eliminated in primary Louie Gohmert, U.S. representative for (declined to endorse in runoff) Eva Guzman, former associate justice of the Supreme Court of Texas (2009–2021)
Withdrawn Matt Krause, state representative from the 93rd district (running for Tarrant County district attorney; endorsed Gohmert)
Endorsements
First round Polling Graphical summary
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Bush LouieGohmert EvaGuzman MattKrause KenPaxton Other UndecidedEmerson CollegeEmerson CollegeFebruary 21–22, 2022522 (LV)± 4.2%20%12%12%–43%–14%UT TylerFebruary 8–15, 2022577 (LV)± 4.4%25%7%13%–39%–16%YouGov/UTYouGov/UTJanuary 28 – February 7, 2022375 (LV)± 5.1%21%15%16%–47%1%–UT TylerUT TylerJanuary 18–25, 2022503 (LV)± 5.1%19%8%7%–33%–33%YouGov/UHYouGov/UHJanuary 14–24, 2022490 (LV)± 3.7%16%13%8%–39%–24% November 23, 2021 Krause withdraws from the raceUT TylerNovember 9–16, 2021401 (LV)± 5.3%32%–7%–46%7%8%YouGov/UT/TTYouGov/UT/TTOctober 22–31, 2021554 (RV)± 4.2%16%–2%3%48%3%27%YouGov/TXHPFYouGov/TXHPFOctober 14–27, 2021405 (LV)± 4.9%17%–6%2%50%–25%UT TylerUT TylerSeptember 7–14, 2021348 (LV)± 6.7%28%–5%–43%14%10%UT TylerJune 20–29, 2021337 (LV)± 6.1%34%–4%–42%12%8%
Results
Gohmert performed best in Texas's 1st congressional district, where he served as a U.S. representative at the time; Guzman performed best in urban Travis, Harris, and Dallas counties; Bush performed best in the Rio Grande Valley; and Paxton performed best in the Texas Panhandle, South Plains, and Southeast Texas.
Runoff Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Bush KenPaxton UndecidedUT TylerMay 2–10, 2022570 (LV)± 4.6%35%41%24%CWS Research (R)CWS Research (R)May 4–10, 2022992 (LV)± 3.1%31%58%11%CWS Research (R)CWS Research (R)March 29 – April 2, 2022678 (LV)± 3.8%30%59%11%YouGov/TXHPFYouGov/TXHPFMarch 18–28, 2022438 (LV)± 4.7%23%65%12%
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Rochelle Mercedes Garza, former attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union
Eliminated in runoff Joe Jaworski, attorney, mediator, former mayor of Galveston, and grandson of former U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Leon Jaworski
Eliminated in primary Mike Fields, attorney and former judge of the Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 14 (endorsed Garza in runoff) Lee Merritt, civil rights attorney (endorsed Garza in runoff) S. T-Bone Raynor, attorney
Endorsements
First round Polling Graphical summary
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MikeFields RochelleGarza JoeJaworski LeeMerritt Raynor Other UndecidedEmerson CollegeFebruary 21–22, 2022388 (LV)± 4.9%5%30%22%16%5%–22%UT TylerFebruary 8–15, 2022479 (LV)± 4.9%9%22%13%9%6%–42%YouGov/UTJanuary 28 – February 7, 2022332 (LV)± 5.4%11%41%24%15%6%3%–UT TylerJanuary 18–25, 2022460 (LV)± 5.4%7%11%11%6%4%–61%YouGov/UHJanuary 14–24, 2022616 (LV)± 3.3%6%13%10%7%6%–57%YouGov/UT/TTOctober 22–31, 2021436 (RV)± 4.7%––14%8%–6%72%YouGov/TXHPFOctober 14–27, 2021– (LV)–––20%20%––60%
Results
Runoff Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error RochelleGarza JoeJaworski UndecidedUT TylerMay 2–10, 2022501 (LV)± 4.9%35%20%46%YouGov/TXHPFMarch 18–28, 2022435 (LV)± 4.7%46%31%23%
Results
Libertarian convention Declared Mark Ash, attorney and candidate for chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas in 2020
General election On October 27, 2022, Libertarian nominee Mark Ash published an op-ed in The Amarillo Pioneer in which he blasted Ken Paxton as "the poster child for corruption and authoritarianism" and recommended that if voters were "reluctant to throw away their votes on a third-party candidate," they should vote for Democratic nominee Rochelle Garza instead. The Texas Democratic Party put out a statement claiming that Ash had endorsed Garza, but Ash clarified that he was not endorsing her, nor would he be dropping out of the race.
Predictions SourceRankingAs of Sabato's Crystal Ball November 3, 2022Elections DailyNovember 1, 2022
Polling Graphical summary
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KenPaxton (R) RochelleGarza (D) MarkAsh (L) Other UndecidedCWS Research (R)CWS Research (R)November 2–5, 2022786 (LV)± 3.5%44%38%5%–12%UT TylerUT Tyler October 17–24, 20221,330 (RV)± 2.9%39%35%5%4%18%973 (LV)± 3.4%42%38%4%3%12%Emerson CollegeEmerson CollegeOctober 17–19, 20221,000 (LV)± 3.0%47%42%4%–8%Siena CollegeSiena CollegeOctober 16–19, 2022649 (LV)± 5.1%48%42%–2%8%ActiVoteActiVoteJune 23 – September 21, 2022209 (LV)± 7.0%45%43%12%––Siena CollegeSiena CollegeSeptember 14–18, 2022651 (LV)± 4.4%47%42%––11%Texas Hispanic Policy FoundationTexas Hispanic Policy FoundationSeptember 6–15, 20221,172 (LV)± 2.9%47%42%3%–8%UT TylerSeptember 7–13, 20221,243 (RV)± 2.9%37%30%6%6%20%YouGov/UTYouGov/UTAugust 26 – September 6, 20221,200 (RV)± 2.8%38%33%4%5%21%YouGov/UH/TSUYouGov/UH/TSUAugust 11–29, 20221,312 (LV)± 2.7%45%42%3%–10%UT TylerAugust 1–7, 20221,384 (RV)± 2.8%34%32%8%7%18%1,199 (LV)± 3.0%36%34%8%6%16%YouGov/UHYouGov/UHJune 27 – July 7, 20221,169 (RV)± 2.9%43%40%5%–12%1,006 (LV)± 3.1%46%41%4%–9%YouGov/UTYouGov/UTJune 16–24, 20221,200 (RV)± 2.8%37%29%5%5%24%YouGov/TXHPFMarch 18–28, 20221,139 (LV)± 2.6%48%42%3%–7%
George P. Bush vs. Rochelle Garza Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Bush (R) RochelleGarza (D) MarkAsh (L) UndecidedYouGov/TXHPFMarch 18–28, 20221,139 (LV)± 2.6%39%39%7%15% George P. Bush vs. Joe Jaworski Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Bush (R) JoeJaworski (D) MarkAsh (L) UndecidedYouGov/TXHPFMarch 18–28, 20221,139 (LV)± 2.6%38%39%8%15% Ken Paxton vs. Joe Jaworski Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KenPaxton (R) JoeJaworski (D) MarkAsh (L) UndecidedYouGov/TXHPFMarch 18–28, 20221,139 (LV)± 2.6%48%41%3%8% Ken Paxton vs. Justin Nelson Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KenPaxton (R) JustinNelson (D) UndecidedData for Progress (D)Data for Progress (D)September 15–22, 2020726 (LV)± 3.6%41%37%22%
Results
By congressional district Paxton won 25 of 38 congressional districts. District Paxton Garza Representative76%22%Louie Gohmert (117th Congress)Nathaniel Moran (118th Congress) 61% 36%Dan Crenshaw57%39%Van Taylor (117th Congress)Keith Self (118th Congress) 64% 33%Pat Fallon 62% 35%Lance Gooden 63% 34%Jake Ellzey 35% 63%Lizzie Fletcher66%32%Kevin Brady (117th Congress)Morgan Luttrell (118th Congress) 23% 75%Al Green 60% 37%Michael McCaul 72% 25%August Pfluger 58% 38%Kay Granger 73% 24%Ronny Jackson 65% 32%Randy Weber51%47%Vicente Gonzalez (117th Congress)Monica De La Cruz (118th Congress) 34% 63%Veronica Escobar 63% 34%Pete Sessions 25% 72%Sheila Jackson Lee 75% 23%Jodey Arrington 32% 65%Joaquín Castro 59% 38%Chip Roy 59% 39%Troy Nehls 53% 44%Tony Gonzales 55% 41%Beth Van Duyne 66% 31%Roger Williams 59% 37%Michael Burgess 62% 35%Michael Cloud 45% 52%Henry Cuellar 30% 68%Sylvia Garcia21%76%Eddie Bernice Johnson (117th Congress)Jasmine Crockett (118th Congress) 59% 37%John Carter 33% 64%Colin Allred 25% 72%Marc Veasey41%57%Mayra Flores (117th Congress)Vicente Gonzalez (118th Congress)25%72%Lloyd Doggett (117th Congress)Greg Casar (118th Congress) 67% 31%Brian Babin 20% 77%Lloyd Doggett 59% 38%Wesley Hunt
Notes
Partisan clients
See also 2022 United States attorney general elections
References
External links Official campaign websites Rochelle Garza (D) for Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) for Attorney General