This material was originally published by Reform Austin.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is preparing to leave the office to run against current U.S. Senator John Cornyn in the GOP primary in March. And the race to succeed Paxton has started, each candidate aiming to prove they’re the most conservative choice.

Republican candidates held an event where they introduced themselves and talked about their posture. One of the earliest and most vocal candidates is State Sen. Mayes Middleton, a Galveston oil and gas attorney with a record on socially conservative issues. He pointed his effort and work on laws prohibiting transgender youth from competing on school teams or using public restrooms that align with their gender identity.

“I’m the only one in this last year that has been protested at the Texas Capitol,” Middleton said. “They called me the bathroom bigot… Why? Because I wanted to keep men out of little girls’ restrooms and showers. The left knows who their true enemy is because I am already fighting them and defeating them.”

Middleton, 43, formerly chaired the Texas Freedom Caucus and consistently ranks among the most conservative lawmakers in the Capitol.

Another contender is State Sen. Joan Huffman, a 16-year veteran of the Texas Senate and chair of the Finance Committee. Huffman, 69, emphasized her career in criminal justice, including her time as a prosecutor in Harris County and later as a criminal court judge.

“I have been a fighter. I’ve been in the trenches. I have sponsored many, many pieces of legislation, many law and order pieces, many conservative pieces of legislation,” she declared.

Among her legislative highlights are a 2017 law that requires voters to present photo ID, the 2021 “Back the Blue Act” to reduce police budgets and several anti-human trafficking bills.

The frontrunners: Reitz and Roy

While the political landscape includes experienced legislators, two names are quickly emerging as frontrunners: Aaron Reitz and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy.

Reitz, a former top aide to Paxton, and former Trump administration official, made a clear distinction between himself and the lawmakers in the race, declaring he “loves” good legislators, “but this job is not a legislative one.”

At just 38, Reitz has served as chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz and briefly held a U.S. Department of Justice position under Trump for two months, before resigning to run for Texas Attorney General.

“We don’t have time to turn the keys over to somebody who needs training wheels. You need somebody who’s been tested, vetted, battle-proven, covered in battle scars,” Reitz concluded.

Congressman Chip Roy didn’t attend the event in person, but sent John Fletcher, his District Director, as representative.

“Chip’s been a firebrand leader of the House Freedom Caucus,” Fletcher said. “There’s not a policy issue that Chip doesn’t know backwards and forwards. He’s always involved, always engaged.”

Chip Roy has built a reputation and recognition among party comrades. He was one of only five Texas Republicans to certify the 2020 election, and has clashed with Trump over federal spending and the debt ceiling. Still, he remains popular and has brushed off past tensions with the former president.

A competitive landscape

Despite Roy’s reputation and Reitz’s high-profile, the race remains wide open. Early polling conducted last month, before Roy’s entry, showed most Republican primary voters were still undecided.

Voter Leann Ermoian, who attended the candidate forum, told Houston Chronicle, “What gives Roy and Reitz the head’s up is that they’ve worked on the national level.” She concluded, “That is a clear advantage.”

The deadline for the race doesn’t close until November, and more contenders could still emerge. But for now, with Paxton stepping aside, the race for Texas attorney general promises to be a hard-fought one.