State Sen. Joan Huffman has entered the Republican primary for attorney general, the office Ken Paxton is vacating to run for the U.S. Senate.
Huffman is among the longest-serving Texas senators. She joins two other Republicans, including a fellow member of the Senate, in the race.
Huffman represents Houston, where she served as a prosecutor and a state district judge before entering the Senate.
Jasper Scherer, politics editor for the Texas Tribune, says Huffman would emphasize her experience in her campaign to be the state’s top law enforcement official.
“She’s one of the more experienced, longer-tenured members of the Texas Senate, and kind of her pitch is just her experience compared to some of the other younger candidates who are already running,” Scherer said.
Other Republicans in the race so far include state Sen. Mayes Middleton, of Galveston, and Aaron Reitz, a former Department of Justice official. Both Middleton and Reitz identify as strong conservatives. Reitz charged that Huffman is the “liberals'” candidate.
Huffman can remain in the Senate while she runs for attorney general.
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