Democrat Nathan Johnson won the race for Texas attorney general, defeating Republican Mayes Middleton. As of early Wednesday morning, Johnson had 52.3% of the vote to Middleton's 46%, according to the Associated Press. The race was to replace Ken Paxton, who is the current attorney general.
Democrats also made gains in other statewide contests on Tuesday. KERA News reported that James Talarico won the U.S. Senate seat against Paxton, and that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott conceded to Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa. Johnson would be the first Democrat to hold the attorney general's office since Dan Morales, who served from 1991 to 1999.
In an earlier interview with KERA, Johnson said he would lead the office in a different direction. "I would not make it a political stronghold," he said. Middleton, a state senator from the 11th district, had said he would continue fighting for conservative causes in office.