Firebrand conservatives set to duke it out in GOP Texas AG debate

Several firebrand conservatives are set to duke it out in what promises to be a particularly explosive debate ahead of the GOP primary election for Texas attorney general.

The debate will be held at the famed Granada Theater in Dallas on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Central Time. It will be hosted by the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) and moderated by conservative podcaster and Texas native Allie Beth Stuckey. Fox News Digital will stream the debate.

With early voting having already started, the Lone Star State is in the midst of a highly contentious primary election season.

Four Republicans are gunning for the role of Texas’ top attorney, a slot that is being vacated by Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate. In the running are Congressman Chip Roy, R-Texas, who is running on a limited government platform, Aaron Reitz, a former Trump Department of Justice official and assistant attorney general under Paxton, state Sen. Mayes Middleton, an oil executive running on an America first platform, and state Sen. Joan Huffman, who has emphasized respect for the rule of law in her campaign.

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As a fourth-term congressman, Roy has the most time in the national spotlight. A member of the House Freedom Caucus, he has at times found himself at odds with President Donald Trump and the GOP establishment.

On Dec. 19, 2024, amid a high-stakes standoff over government funding and the federal debt ceiling, Trump railed against Roy in a Truth Social post in which he called him one of several "Republican obstructionists" who he said, "Have to be done away with."

Both Reitz and Middleton, who have positioned themselves as the Trump loyalists in the race, have used this line of attack against him. Reitz has accused Roy of being "belligerently anti-Trump" and a party antagonizer, while Middleton has echoed the obstructionist theme.

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Stuckey has said the debate questions will focus on the national legal battles the Texas attorney general must lead regarding the border and constitutional rights. In an X post, she said that her team and RAGA have been working to make sure that "every single question is not only relevant to Texas voters but also to Americans as a whole."

She promised a "fiery, fun and informative night."

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Addressing the debate, RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper said in a statement that the Texas attorney general "plays a critical role locally and nationally from protecting Texans to promoting the rule of law and preserving freedom for future generations."

Piper said that "RAGA looks forward to providing Texans the opportunity to hear all four Attorneys General candidates answer questions on the important issues facing the state."