Overview

• Roy, a four-term congressman and House Freedom Caucus policy chair, announced his campaign Thursday to succeed Ken Paxton.
• The open race follows Paxton’s U.S. Senate bid, with state Sens. Joan Huffman and Mayes Middleton and former Paxton aide Aaron Reitz already in the field.
• Roy’s launch message emphasizes border enforcement, support for law enforcement, tighter election rules, and opposition to progressive prosecutors and Chinese Communist Party-linked land purchases.
• He previously served as Paxton’s first assistant attorney general and later called for Paxton’s resignation in 2020 after senior aides alleged bribery and abuse of office.
• Roy brings significant name recognition and roughly $2.5 million in his federal account to a contest where pre-announcement polling showed most GOP voters undecided.