Middleton wins Texas GOP attorney general runoff over Rep. Roy
Middleton, currently a State Senator, emerged victorious after a contentious fight.

Tom Kean Jr. — one of former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean's twin sons — secured a seat in Congress in 2022 after serving for two decades as a Republican state senator. He is now running for re-election to represent the Garden State's 7th Congressional District.While Kean, whom President Donald Trump endorsed last May and touted as a "Tremendous Advocate of our America First Agenda," has urged constituents in social media posts to vote for him, he hasn't voted on their behalf in Congress since March 5, missing over 100 roll-call votes.'I understand the need for public transparency.'Amid mounting speculation about his disappearance from work and public life, the 57-year-old Republican released a statement in late April thanking his "constituents and colleagues for their patience" as he addresses "a personal medical issue.""My doctors continue to assure me that my recovery will be complete and that I will be back to the job I love very soon," said Kean. "I expect to return to a full schedule and be at 100 percent. I take my responsibilities seriously and have a strong record of showing up and delivering, which makes this absence all the more difficult."Neither Kean nor his campaign have revealed the nature of the medical issue. His office did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment."Nobody knows what's going on," Mary Melfoi, the Republican clerk of Hunterdon County, told Politico. "I've never seen a lid on anything tighter in my life.""Everybody's hopeful that whatever's going on is being addressed and he's going to come back," continued Melfoi. "But we're not going around saying 'Who do you think we should replace him with?'"RELATED: Democrat voters in Georgia want nothing to do with Trump-hating ex-Republican Serhiy Morgunov/Global Images Ukraine/Getty ImagesAlthough apparently still actively trading stocks, Kean wasn't seen or heard from for nearly another month after issuing the April statement. This continued absence prompted Democrats to increasingly like their chances of flipping the seat — an apparent "toss-up" even before he took a leave of absence — that Kean took in the last election with 51.8% of the vote.Zoe Heath, Democrat chair of Sussex County, said that some of her fellow travelers figure Kean is doomed to lose, noting that "some Democrats are being incredibly cocky about this."Tina Shah, an anti-ICE liberal supported by the Hindu America PAC and Indian American IMPACT who is among the Democrats vying to face off with Kean, evidenced a willingness to politically exploit the Republican's absence."What we are being assured is that his team is carrying the torch," Shah said during a debate earlier this month. "But we elected Tom Kean Jr., not his team."Kean finally piped up last week, reaching out to a handful of Republican allies and telling the New Jersey Globe in a May 21 phone interview, "My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery."The congressman claimed that his medical issue would not affect his cognitive health, that he is not expected to suffer any long-term effects or chronic health complications, and that he plans to "return to voting and to the campaign trail" sometime in the next couple of weeks."I understand the need for public transparency, and I appreciate the support of my constituents," added Kean.The Globe reported that Kean also spoke last week with Hunterdon County GOP Chairman Gabe Plumer, who said the congressman "sounds great and energized."Sussex County Republican Chairman Joseph LaBarbera also received a call from the absent congressman last week."I asked him if he needed anything," LaBarbera told the Times. The chairman recalled Kean replying, "Just your prayers."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Middleton, currently a State Senator, emerged victorious after a contentious fight.
Christian Menefee wins 18th district race after Republican gerrymandering carved up Green’s reliably Democratic seatChristian Menefee, a freshman Democratic US representative, beat veteran congressman Al Green on Tuesday in a fierce runoff that was the product of Republican gerrymandering.Last year, the Republican-dominated Texas legislature unveiled a congressional map designed to flip seats in the GOP’s favor. Donald Trump had urged the state’s lawmakers to safeguard the party’s congressional majority. Continue reading...
Republican efforts to interfere in a Democratic congressional primary in Texas ended in failure on Tuesday night.According to Decision Desk HQ and the Associated Press, Bexar County Sheriff's Deputy Johnny Garcia has defeated sex therapist Maureen Galindo in a closely-watched contest for the Democratic nomination for Texas's 35th Congressional District.Galindo attracted national attention for a number of extreme and antisemitic statements, including the vow to convert Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities into prisons for "American Zionists" and claims that her opponent was involved in human trafficking.The situation was further amplified by reporting that Lead Left PAC, a shadowy progressive-sounding political group that was in fact controlled by Republican operatives, was pumping money into the race on Galindo's behalf — an evident attempt to boost the candidate whom Republicans saw as weaker.The final few weeks of the campaign saw a huge spectrum of national and local Democratic leaders endorsing Garcia, from Blue Dogs to progressives, as well as an aggressive ad campaign warning voters that Galindo had an extremist record and was being supported by Republican dark money.The 35th District is one of many that were redrawn to be more GOP-leaning in the Trump-backed congressional gerrymander. Democrats remain hopeful that in a heavily anti-Trump environment, they can still win the seat.
Four-term Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) lost renomination to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday in a GOP primary that became a referendum on loyalty to President Donald Trump. The Trump-backed Paxton received 62.5% of the votes compared to Cornyn’s 37.5% when the Associated Press called the race. The three-term attorney general will face off […]
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has defeated Sen.
Some Republicans fretting about the upcoming midterms on social media could not seem to squeeze into a comfortable position Tuesday night after incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) lost his seat to Republican challenger Ken Paxton.MAGA faithful delighted in the news, with right-wing pundits like Nick Sorter crowing victory Tuesday night after results rolled in.“HEY THUNE: Texas is sending a MESSAGE to you. You could’ve avoided this ENTIRE PRIMARY and KEPT John Cornyn if you would’ve just passed the SAVE America Act,” Sorter said on X. “You snubbed us, thinking you could just BUY elections. YOU WERE WRONG. Voters are REBUKING you.”“The day of the RINO is over and the RINO's who are still in the Senate better take notice,” yowled MAGA influencer Bill Mitchell on X.“Go against President Trump and his America First agenda at your own peril,” said another. “The old Republican Party is dead. The voters are fully behind Trump, and opposing him is now a career-ender. Just ask John Cornyn, Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, Adam Kinzinger, and the rest of the never Trump losers who got primaried, booed off stage, or exiled into political oblivion.”“Paxton will face Democrat James Talarico in November, win that election, and begin representing Texas come January in the senate,” said right-wing radio host Clay Travis on X. But other, less jingoistic conservatives appeared to twitch their fingers at the news.“Dems will be happy to get Paxton with all his baggage,” said former Fox News sportswriter Robert Lusetich under Travis’ X post.“Paxton will win easily after Democrats spend over $100 million convincing themselves Talarico has a chance,” Travis posted directly beneath Lusetich — but Lusetich was unconvinced.“But think of the ads that $100m buys, Clay! 2023 impeachment by his own party in the Texas House + long-running securities fraud indictments + federal whistle-blower investigations + Trump lackey,” insisted Lusetich. “Key though is 15-20 percent of GOP in Texas are Bush Republicans & they're staying home.”Talarico himself was already courting bitter Cornyn voters on the night of his defeat, announcing on X: “I want to thank Senator John Cornyn for his years representing our state. We don’t agree on everything, but we both still believe in public service. To Senator Cornyn’s supporters: you have a place in our campaign.”Dem strategists and influencers, meanwhile, were already out in force and thrilled with the news, with one declaring on X: “Congrats Ken Paxton for handing the Senate to Democrats in 2026.Another X Dem suggested: “Dems need to just run clips of Paxton being insane over and over and over again.”
Alex Mealer, a Trump-endorsed Army combat veteran and energy executive, defeated state Rep. Briscoe Cain in a Houston-based congressional runoff election.
Trump-backed Republican Carlos de la Cruz toppled Texas lawmaker John Lujan in a runoff for a newly redrawn congressional district stretching from Austin to San Antonio.