Texas AG Republican Primary 2022: Paxton Off Pace To Avoid Runoff

AUSTIN, TX — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could be facing a possible runoff for the Republican nomination in his bid for re-election.

Paxton, who is seeking his third term in office, was receiving approximately 43 percent of votes in the Texas attorney general Republican primary election as of late Tuesday night.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert and former Texas Supreme Court judge Eva Guzman are polling close to each other in their attempts to emerge as the challenger to Paxton in a potential runoff. Bush holds a slight lead over Guzman as of late Tuesday.

Official election results could be delayed as Harris County election officials told Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott that they will not be able to report results from all early and Election Day ballots within the required 24-hour period after polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to a news release. Election officials told the Secretary of State Office the delay in results from Harris County is because of damaged ballots that must be reproduced before they are counted and reported, Scott said in the statement.

Here are the results with 234 of 254 counties reporting as of 10:50 p.m.:

Texas Attorney General Republican Primary Vote Totals

Ken Paxton: 565,664 (43.03%)

George P. Bush: 290,811 (22.12%)

Louie Gohmert: 212,384 (16.16%)

Eva Guzman: 245,743 (18.69%)

Paxton holds former President Donald Trump's endorsement and has become one of the country's most notable state attorneys general by defending divisive new laws against challenges and bringing cases against President Joe Biden and tech companies such as Google and Facebook.

Paxton has been a proponent of Senate Bill 8, the abortion law which took effect in 2021, defending it against several challenges. The law bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, which can occur as early as six weeks into pregnancy, and leaves enforcement to individual actors who can sue anyone who performs, aids or abets an abortion that violates the law for up to $10,000.

The law has prevented approximately 17,000 abortions since it was enacted in September, Paxton said in a news release Monday.

Paxton has been at the forefront of a rightward shift among some of Texas' top political leaders. He led a failed lawsuit against Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia and Pennsylvania in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election in favor of Trump. He also has been hounded by securities fraud charges and an FBI investigation into corruption allegations, though he has denied wrongdoing.

Paxton's challengers have pointed to his legal issues as reasons to turn to new blood in the office of attorney general.

Bush, a grandson of former President George H.W. Bush and the only member of the Bush family still in public office, has expressed confidence in the final days of the race that he will force a May runoff. Bush has served as Texas Land Commissioner since 2015, winning elections in 2014 and 2018.

Gohmert has served as the U.S. representative for Texas' 1st District since 2005 and was a member of the Tea Party movement. He signed an amicus brief in support of Paxton's lawsuit targeting the 2020 election and was later one of 147 members of Congress who voted to overturn the election results following the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection.

Guzman was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in 2009 by former Gov. Rick Perry. Guzman was on the court until June 2021, when she announced her candidacy for Texas attorney general. She won election for a pair of six-year terms in 2010 and 2016.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.