State Sen. Nathan Johnson, a Dallas Democrat, is running for Texas attorney general in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Republican Mayes Middleton and Libertarian Tom Oxford.
Asked why he is running, Johnson said in our candidate questionnaire that he "found him guilty and voted to convict on 14 of 16 articles of impeachment" during Attorney General Ken Paxton's 2023 impeachment trial. "The trial demonstrated the enormous power of the Attorney General's Office—and convinced me that, under the right leadership, the OAG can be as powerfully good as it has been powerfully bad under Paxton," he said.
Candidate information
Party: Democrat
Education: University of Arizona, B.S.; University of Texas, J.D.
Family: Three adult children.
Johnson represents nearly a million people in Senate District 16 in Dallas County, according to his Texas Senate page. He was first elected in 2018. He practices law at Thompson Coburn LLP, specializing in trial litigation and dispute resolution. He also composed dozens of musical scores for the anime series Dragon Ball Z and classical music for the concert stage.
Experience and public service
Johnson has served as a state senator since 2019. He is vice chair of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence and a member of the Committee on Transportation. He has worked as an attorney at several firms, including Sheinfeld, Maley & Kay; Spector & Johnson, PLLC; Thompson & Knight LLP; and Holland & Knight LLP.
Asked about his qualifications, Johnson said in our questionnaire: "I've spent decades as a commercial litigator and, more recently, as a mediator, handling matters across a wide range of industries. … My eight years in the Texas Senate have given me the political skills, institutional knowledge, relationships, and perspective necessary to lead the OAG effectively and serve the public interest."
On the issues
Top priorities: Johnson said his first priority would be to "end corruption and rebuild the OAG." Second, he said he would "protect consumers and competition," targeting "consolidation, predatory pricing, fraud, scams, and market manipulation." Third, he said he would "make government work" by "challenging unlawful federal actions" and partnering "with local prosecutors and law enforcement to improve public safety."
Consumer protection: Johnson said in our questionnaire: "The Trump administration has severely weakened federal consumer protection, leaving state attorneys general to fill the gap. I will make consumer protection a priority, working with AGs of either party to combat fintech abuses, elder fraud, charity scams, crypto schemes, price fixing, deceptive pricing, and junk fees."
Differences from opponents: Johnson said his Republican opponent "has promised to use it as a tool of partisan warfare." He added: "Voters deserve an Attorney General who serves Texas—not a political party."
Federal lawsuits: Asked when Texas should sue the federal government, Johnson said: "I will sue or join multistate litigation whenever the federal government violates federal law, regulations, or the Constitution and harms Texans." He added he would not be "antagonistic for its own sake or driven by partisan theatrics."
Child support: Johnson said he would "modernize Texas's child support system to improve collections, compliance, and service for families." He said he would "modernize payment systems" and "increase caseworker pay and advancement opportunities."
Accomplishments: Johnson said he passed legislation on "payday lending, insurance and roofing fraud, market competition, social media regulation" and a law "to protect people – particularly vulnerable adults – against the use of AI for financial exploitation."
