Democrat Nathan Johnson defeated Republican Mayes Middleton in the race for Texas attorney general. As of early Wednesday morning, Johnson had 52.3% of the vote to Middleton's 46%, according to the Associated Press. Johnson will be the first Democrat to hold the office since Dan Morales, who served from 1991 to 1999.
The race followed a night of gains for Democrats across Texas. James Talarico won the U.S. Senate seat against current Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott conceded to Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa.
In an earlier interview with KERA, Johnson said he would lead the office differently. "I would not make it a political stronghold," he said. "It's supposed to be the attorney for the people of the state of Texas, whether they're Democrats or Republicans."
Middleton, a state senator from the 11th district, ran on a MAGA platform. His campaign ran ads calling him "MAGA Mayes." At the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year, he said he would back President Donald Trump's America First agenda in the office.