Heading into the 2026 midterm election, Texas is well on its way to becoming the state to closely watch. One of the many important offices that are up for grabs is that of Texas Attorney General, and given that Rep. Chip Roy (R) has just enlisted former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) as a supporter, is that enough to carry him across the finish line?
For starters, Aaron Reitz (R), a former U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy, has positioned himself as the “MAGA” candidate.
In his announcement earlier this year, his campaign cited encouraging words from President Donald Trump (R), who, in 2024, called Reitz “a true MAGA attorney [and] a warrior for our Constitution.”
Since Rep. Roy announced his candidacy, Reitz’s campaign has done its best to present him as anything but “MAGA.”
On social media, Reitz has highlighted that Rep. Roy supported President Trump’s impeachment for January 6th, noting that the Texas Congressman also supported incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton’s (R) impeachment.
Attorney General Paxton, who is vying for Senator John Cornyn’s (R) seat, has endorsed Reitz to succeed him.
If Reitz was vying for the “MAGA” base to fall behind him in the Republican primary, the race just got a little more complicated for his campaign.
Former Rep. Gaetz, who President Trump nominated to be his Attorney General before his nomination was rescinded by controversy, has endorsed Rep. Roy for Texas Attorney General.
On social media, the former Florida Congressman shared that “Chip Roy has the right stuff.”
Chip Roy has the right stuff. He’s a smart, tough Texan and has my full endorsement for Attorney General! https://t.co/Bu4XKPzBre
— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) October 1, 2025
“He’s a smart, tough Texan and has my full endorsement for Attorney General!” the former Rep. Gaetz added.
Despite Reitz touting high praise from President Trump, the President has in fact not endorsed him.
In contrast, President Trump and Rep. Roy have a history filled with tension. Both exchanged choice words during the "One Big Beautiful Bill" debacle after Rep. Roy scrutinized the bill, and President Trump even welcomed a primary challenger for Rep. Roy's seat, calling him "very unpopular."
Still, the Texas Congressman has managed to snag endorsements from Republicans who are closely aligned with the President. Both Senator Ted Cruz (R) and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds (R) have endorsed Rep. Roy for Texas Attorney General.
Rep. Donalds himself has earned the endorsement of President Trump in his own bid to become Florida's next governor.
But how much will President Trump influence the Texas Attorney General's race?
Recent polling suggests that Reitz's chances are higher when voters learn of his endorsement from Attorney General Paxton, but without the news, his chances significantly drop against Rep. Roy.
More internal polling from the #txlege AG race, @aaron_reitz camp memo showed the race w/@KenPaxtonTX backing Reitz:
Reitz-30% (7% initial ballot test)
Roy-13% (24%)
Huffman-6% (8%)
Middleton-3% (4%)
Undecided-48% (58%)Methodology: 8/16-17, 473 LV Rs, 4.51% MOE pic.twitter.com/htQjIKa2uZ
— Brad Johnson (@bradj_TX) September 17, 2025
President Trump not endorsed Senator Cornyn or Attorney General Paxton in the Republican primary for the senate. If the "MAGA" base is really influenced by the President, Attorney General Paxton not receiving an endorsement could spell trouble for Reitz.
