District 16 Sen. Nathan Johnson announced Tuesday that he is entering the race for Texas Attorney General.
Johnson was first elected to the Texas State Senate in 2019 and reelected in 2024. His district covers northern parts of Dallas — including a significant section of the Lakewood area — and portions of Garland, Irving, Carrollton and Rowlett.
Johnson joins others seeking to replace Republican Ken Paxton, who has been attorney general since 2015. Paxton is leaving the post to challenge Republican John Cornyn for his seat in the U.S. Senate.
Photo courtesy of Texas Senate Media Services.
During his time in the Senate, one of Johnson’s priorities has been health care access. Multiple times, he attempted to get a Medicaid expansion bill through the Legislature. He also authored a bill that allowed more than 350,000 uninsured Texans to use federal subsidies to purchase health insurance. Other legislative priorities include the Texas grid and government transparency.
Similar to his senate runs, Johnson is campaigning on being an independent voice. His campaign announcement said, “Texas needs an attorney general who can meet the moment — with strength, independence, and a genuine commitment to serve the people of Texas instead of partisan ideology.”
Photo courtesy of CCR Studios.
Johnson has framed himself as a candidate seeking to repair Paxton’s harms. In his campaign announcement, he said Paxton “has abused the office for his own personal and political interests … Under his control, the office has been corrupted and abused and debased, while its powers to do good have been wasted.”
A lawyer at Thompson Coburn LLP, Johnson is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. He is also a pianist and music composer, having composed scores for the anime series Dragon Ball Z.
The announcement makes Johnson the first Democratic to officially enter the race, but he is predicted to have tough competition in both the primary and general elections. According to The Dallas Morning News, possible Democratic candidates include former Galveston mayor and 2022 attorney general candidate Joe Jaworski and U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro of San Antonio.
Three Republicans have already entered the race: District 11 Senator Mayes Middleton, District 17 Senator Joan Huffman and former Department of Justice official Aaron Reitz.
If Johnson wins the primary, he will continue to face an uphill battle. A Democrat has not won statewide office in Texas since 1994.
In his announcement, Johnson said, “Texas stands among the most powerful and important governments in the world. We ought to have a good lawyer.”
More information about Johnson and his campaign can be found on his website.
