Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is eyeing a bid for Texas attorney general, two sources familiar with the matter told The Hill, as the GOP lawmaker considers jumping from Washington back to the Lone Star State.
Roy — who has served in the House since 2019 — has spoken about potentially running for the post, one of the sources said, which is open after current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) decided to launch a Senate primary bid against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Reached for comment, Roy told The Hill: “I’m always considering where I can best serve the people I represent to ensure we preserve and protect a free, secure, and prosperous Texas for generations to come.”
A number of Republicans are already running for Texas attorney general, including state Sens. Mayes Middleton and Joan Huffman, as well as Aaron Reitz, who previously worked in the Trump administration and for Paxton.
The 2026 cycle will be the first time the Texas attorney general post has been open since 2014, when Paxton won. The attorney general job in Texas is not subject to term limits.
Ascending to the job of Texas attorney general would mark an end to Roy’s tenure on Capitol Hill, which began as chief of staff for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and staff director for the Senate Judiciary Committee under Cornyn, and accelerated when he was elected to represent Texas’s 21st Congressional district in the House in 2018. He has since become a key member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and a critical player in the lower chamber.
The move, however, would also be a homecoming of sorts for Roy, who served as first assistant attorney general of Texas in 2014 after Paxton named him to the post. Roy has a degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Comments