Texas Attorney General election, 2022 (March 1 Democratic primary)

From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 14 min


2018
Texas Attorney General
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Democratic primary runoff
Republican primary
Republican primary runoff
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 13, 2021
Primary: March 1, 2022
Primary runoff: May 24, 2022
General: November 8, 2022

Pre-election incumbent(s):
Ken Paxton (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Texas
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2022
Impact of term limits in 2022
State government trifectas and triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
Texas
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Comptroller
State Board of Education (15 seats)
Agriculture Commissioner
Public Lands Commissioner
Railroad Commissioner

Rochelle Garza and Joe Jaworski were the top two finishers in the March 1 Democratic primary for Texas attorney general. Garza received 43.0% of the vote and Jaworski received 19.7%. Lee Merritt conceded his spot in the runoff on March 10 and endorsed Garza on that date.[1] He finished in third place with 19.4%, Mike Fields was fourth with 12.3% and S. T-Bone Raynor finished fifth with 5.5%.

Because no candidate won more than 50% of the votes cast, Garza and Jaworski met in a May 24 primary runoff election.

Garza is a former attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. She originally announced she would run for Texas’ 34th Congressional District after Rep. Filemon Vela (D) announced he would not run for re-election in March 2021. After Texas enacted new congressional district maps in October 2021, Garza decided to run for attorney general instead. In an interview with The Texas Tribune, Garza said, “Given my background, my work, I believe that this race is the right place to be. I also believe that if we’re gonna change anything in Texas, it’s gonna have to come at the state level because we’ve seen the damage that the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general have done to this state and the harm they’ve done to the people.”[2]

Jaworski is an attorney and the former mayor of Galveston. His campaign website listed several top priorities, including supporting the Affordable Care Act, expanding Medicaid, leading a statewide effort to legalize recreational marijuana, and supporting the decision-making authority of local governments.[3] “Local decision-making authority is under attack in state government these days and I can personally say that local government is the best government. So I think as attorney general, Texans can rest assured whether they live in Republican jurisdiction, Democratic jurisdiction or any independent-type jurisdiction, that local government will be a focus of my attorney general opinion.”[4]

Merritt is a civil rights attorney who said his top priority was expanding voting access to all residents. In a January 2022 interview with Houston television station ABC13, Merritt said, “Texas is changing, and we've seen a unique backlash in response to that change. The essential components of our democracy are at stake, starting with the right to vote.” [5]

The attorney general is an executive office that serves as the chief legal advisor and chief law enforcement officer for the state government and is empowered to prosecute violations of state law, represent the state in legal disputes and issue legal advice to state agencies and the legislature. In most states, the attorney general has a substantial influence on a state's approach to law enforcement.

If any candidate had received more than 50% of the vote in the primary, he or she would have automatically advanced to the Nov. 8 general election.

Mike Fields (D), Rochelle Garza (D), and Joe Jaworski (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Click on a candidate's name to view that candidate's responses.


Election news[edit]

This section included a timeline leading up to the election, including polling, debates, and other noteworthy events.

HOTP-Dem-Ad-1-small.png

Candidates and election results[edit]

Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Texas

Rochelle Garza and Joe Jaworski advanced to a runoff. They defeated Lee Merritt, Mike Fields, and S. T-Bone Raynor in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Texas on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Rochelle_Garza1.jpg

Rochelle Garza Candidate Connection
 
43.0
 
433,821

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/JoeJaworski.jpeg

Joe Jaworski Candidate Connection
 
19.7
 
199,135

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lee-Merritt.PNG

Lee Merritt
 
19.4
 
196,089

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/MikeFields.jpeg

Mike Fields Candidate Connection
 
12.3
 
123,980

Silhouette Placeholder Image.png

S. T-Bone Raynor
 
5.5
 
55,571

Total votes: 1,008,596
(95.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.


Candidate comparison[edit]

Candidate profiles[edit]

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[8]

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of Mike Fields

WebsiteTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "I am an Army veteran, former elected Judge, Assistant Attorney General, Assistant District Attorney. And private practitioner. I graduated from St. Mary’s Law School and passed the Texas Bar in 1991. As a former Republican and political moderate, I believe our economy is the most important issue in this race and the stance Texas takes on social issues will impact our economy moving forward. To attract businesses and the best and brightest people, we need an AG who will fight for voting rights, LGBTQ+ equality, Women’s reproductive choice and consumer protections. As Attorney General, I will fight those fights."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Economy


Social Justice


Common sense policies

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of Texas in 2022

Image of Rochelle Garza

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Rochelle Garza is a civil rights attorney and 5th generation Texan from the Rio Grande Valley. She believes that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, everyone deserves a fair shot to get ahead. She has spent her legal career fighting for the civil rights of children, immigrants, and families. Rochelle even took on Donald Trump, Ken Paxton, and Brett Kavanaugh when they tried to prevent an immigrant teen, Jane Doe, from exercising her right to choose - and won. Rochelle has legal expertise in immigration, family, criminal and constitutional law. Her work has had broad impacts, like the “Garza Notice,” a notification requirement that teens in immigration detention have a constitutional right to access abortion care, and also meaningful individual impacts, like helping Trans clients acquire name and gender marker changes on their documentation to not only affirm who they are but to live a life of safety. As Attorney General, Rochelle will fight for Texas families. Rochelle graduated from the University of Houston Law Center and from Brown University with honors. She lives in Brownsville with her husband, Adam, and their dog, Ramses. They’re expecting their first child, a daughter, this year."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Voting Rights - I will use the power of the TX AG office to ensure that voting rights are protected in the courts if there are further attempts to make it harder for any Texan, especially people of color, to cast a ballot.


Reproductive Rights - Abortion care is health care, and health care is a human right. Reproductive choice is a moral imperative and an issue of racial, economic, and gender justice. I’m committed to restoring abortion access in Texas and defending the rights of women and pregnant people whenever they’re threatened.


Consumer protection - As Texas Attorney General, I will make consumer protection a top priority during my administration and investigate what went wrong with our power grid and ensure it never happens again.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of Texas in 2022

Image of Joe Jaworski

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Texans love fighters and that is exactly who Joe Jaworski is. Joe Jaworski is a third-generation Texas trial attorney and former mayor of Galveston, Texas. Joe’s term as mayor was defined by his unwavering support for and success in rebuilding Galveston’s storm-devastated public housing; a political choice that made a positive difference for thousands of Island residents but cost him a second term. His family legacy is one of integrity and ethics. Joe’s grandfather Watergate Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski had the guts to take on President Nixon and Nixon’s corrupt Administration by fighting for justice in our nation’s highest court. Leon Jaworski’s legacy after Watergate - a family value which Joe honors daily - is “no one is above the law.” This is why Joe is running for Texas Attorney General. In Texas, too many of our public officials think they are above the law. The tearing down of our institutions has led us to lose faith in our democracy. We need someone who can restore integrity to public service in Texas. Someone who chooses right over wrong. Someone who will use our legal system to fight for fairness and justice. That’s what Joe has done his entire career, as a lawyer and as a mayor. We need an Attorney General with the courage of Joe’s grandfather — the courage to stand up to the politically powerful. Joe is prepared to live up to that legacy."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Legalize adult-use Cannabis in Texas.


Enhance, not suppress, legal voting for all Texans.


Promote and support local officials' decision-making authority.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of Texas in 2022

Image of Lee Merritt

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Merritt received a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College in 2005 and a J.D. from the Temple University School of Law in 2012. He started his own law firm in 2012, and his professional experience includes working as an attorney for Wapner, Newman, Wigrizer, Brecher & Miller and Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C.



Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.


Merritt has focused his campaign on expanding voting rights, stating on his website, “We are going to fight to ensure all Texans can participate in the political process. Republicans have disenfranchised 4 million new Texans through gerrymandering. The AG continues to intimidate black and brown voters through politically motivated prosecutions.”


At a debate sponsored by the Texas AFL-CIO, Merritt said his office would support a living wage and strong unions: “Texas is the ninth largest economy in the world, but it seems that all the benefits go to the businesses and very few trickle down to the workers. That is because we don’t have an active attorney general who is willing to use that office as a tool to support the workers.”


Merritt stated on his website that he would protect public education: “Republican efforts to defund public education must be opposed by the people’s lawyer. As a former teacher, I will always be on the side of educators and local control concerning issues impacting the classroom.”


Show sources

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of Texas in 2022

Campaign ads[edit]

Democratic Party Mike Fields[edit]

If you're aware of any ads Fields has released for this race, email us.


Democratic Party Rochelle Garza[edit]

November 1, 2021

View more ads here:


Democratic Party Joe Jaworski[edit]

December 31, 2021
August 13, 2021
October 6, 2021

View more ads here:


Democratic Party Lee Merritt[edit]

If you're aware of any ads Merritt has released for this race, email us.

Democratic Party S. T-Bone Raynor[edit]

If you're aware of any ads Raynor has released for this race, email us.

Election competitiveness[edit]

Polls[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.

Election spending[edit]

Campaign finance[edit]

The tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA. Transparency USA tracks loans separately from total contributions. View each candidates’ loan totals, if any, by clicking “View More” in the table below and learn more about this data here.

State profile[edit]

USA Texas location map.svg
Demographic data for Texas
 TexasU.S.
Total population:27,429,639316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):261,2323,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:74.9%73.6%
Black/African American:11.9%12.6%
Asian:4.2%5.1%
Native American:0.5%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2.5%3%
Hispanic/Latino:38.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:81.9%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.6%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$53,207$53,889
Persons below poverty level:19.9%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Texas

Texas voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Texas, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[9]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Texas had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More Texas coverage on Ballotpedia

Election analysis[edit]

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
  • Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
  • State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
  • Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

Presidential elections[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Texas and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district[edit]

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Texas, 2022
District Incumbent Party PVI
Texas' 1st Open Ends.png Republican R+26
Texas' 2nd Daniel Crenshaw Ends.png Republican R+15
Texas' 3rd Open Ends.png Republican R+11
Texas' 4th Pat Fallon Ends.png Republican R+16
Texas' 5th Lance Gooden Ends.png Republican R+14
Texas' 6th Jake Ellzey Ends.png Republican R+15
Texas' 7th Lizzie Pannill Fletcher Electiondot.png Democratic D+13
Texas' 8th Open Ends.png Republican R+16
Texas' 9th Al Green Electiondot.png Democratic D+26
Texas' 10th Michael McCaul Ends.png Republican R+13
Texas' 11th August Pfluger Ends.png Republican R+23
Texas' 12th Kay Granger Ends.png Republican R+12
Texas' 13th Ronny Jackson Ends.png Republican R+26
Texas' 14th Randy Weber Ends.png Republican R+17
Texas' 15th Open Electiondot.png Democratic R+1
Texas' 16th Veronica Escobar Electiondot.png Democratic D+17
Texas' 17th Pete Sessions Ends.png Republican R+14
Texas' 18th Sheila Jackson Lee Electiondot.png Democratic D+23
Texas' 19th Jodey Arrington Ends.png Republican R+26
Texas' 20th Joaquin Castro Electiondot.png Democratic D+15
Texas' 21st Chip Roy Ends.png Republican R+13
Texas' 22nd Troy Nehls Ends.png Republican R+11
Texas' 23rd Tony Gonzales Ends.png Republican R+5
Texas' 24th Beth Van Duyne Ends.png Republican R+10
Texas' 25th Roger Williams Ends.png Republican R+19
Texas' 26th Michael Burgess Ends.png Republican R+13
Texas' 27th Michael Cloud Ends.png Republican R+13
Texas' 28th Henry Cuellar Electiondot.png Democratic D+3
Texas' 29th Sylvia Garcia Electiondot.png Democratic D+18
Texas' 30th Open Electiondot.png Democratic D+27
Texas' 31st John Carter Ends.png Republican R+14
Texas' 32nd Colin Allred Electiondot.png Democratic D+14
Texas' 33rd Marc Veasey Electiondot.png Democratic D+24
Texas' 34th Mayra Flores / Vicente Gonzalez Jr. Ends.png Republican D+9
Texas' 35th Open Electiondot.png Democratic D+21
Texas' 36th Brian Babin Ends.png Republican R+18
Texas' 37th Lloyd Doggett Electiondot.png Democratic D+24
Texas' 38th New Seat N/A R+12


2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines[edit]

2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, Texas[10]
District Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
Texas' 1st 26.5% 72.4%
Texas' 2nd 37.9% 60.7%
Texas' 3rd 42.0% 56.4%
Texas' 4th 36.4% 62.4%
Texas' 5th 38.2% 60.6%
Texas' 6th 37.4% 61.3%
Texas' 7th 64.2% 34.5%
Texas' 8th 35.8% 63.0%
Texas' 9th 76.2% 22.8%
Texas' 10th 39.8% 58.6%
Texas' 11th 29.1% 69.5%
Texas' 12th 40.1% 58.3%
Texas' 13th 26.5% 72.0%
Texas' 14th 35.0% 63.6%
Texas' 15th 48.1% 51.0%
Texas' 16th 67.0% 31.5%
Texas' 17th 38.0% 60.5%
Texas' 18th 73.6% 25.1%
Texas' 19th 26.2% 72.4%
Texas' 20th 65.8% 32.7%
Texas' 21st 39.4% 59.1%
Texas' 22nd 41.3% 57.4%
Texas' 23rd 45.8% 52.9%
Texas' 24th 43.0% 55.4%
Texas' 25th 33.8% 64.9%
Texas' 26th 40.0% 58.6%
Texas' 27th 38.1% 60.6%
Texas' 28th 52.9% 45.9%
Texas' 29th 67.8% 31.0%
Texas' 30th 77.8% 21.0%
Texas' 31st 39.0% 59.2%
Texas' 32nd 65.7% 32.7%
Texas' 33rd 74.2% 24.4%
Texas' 34th 57.3% 41.8%
Texas' 35th 71.7% 26.5%
Texas' 36th 33.6% 65.2%
Texas' 37th 75.5% 22.7%
Texas' 38th 40.2% 58.4%


2012-2020[edit]

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:


Following the 2020 presidential election, 45.5% of Texans lived in one of the state's 18 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 40.1% lived in one of 223 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Texas was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Texas following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Historical voting trends[edit]

Texas presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 16 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winning Party D D D D D D D R D D D D D R R D D D R D R R R R R R R R R R R

Statewide elections[edit]

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections[edit]

See also: List of United States Senators from Texas

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Texas.

U.S. Senate election results in Texas
Race Winner Runner up
2020 53.5%Republican Party 43.9%Democratic Party
2018 50.9%Republican Party 48.3%Democratic Party
2014 61.6%Republican Party 34.4%Democratic Party
2012 56.5%Republican Party 40.7%Democratic Party
2008 54.8%Republican Party 42.8%Democratic Party
Average 55.5 42.0

Gubernatorial elections[edit]

See also: Governor of Texas

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Texas.

Gubernatorial election results in Texas
Race Winner Runner up
2018 55.8%Republican Party 42.5%Democratic Party
2014 59.3%Republican Party 38.9%Democratic Party
2010 55.0%Republican Party 42.3%Democratic Party
2006 39.0%Republican Party 29.8%Democratic Party
2002 57.8%Republican Party 40.0%Democratic Party
Average 53.4 38.7

State partisanship[edit]

Congressional delegation[edit]

The table below displays the partisan composition of Texas' congressional delegation as of September 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas, September 2022
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 12 12
Republican 2 24 26
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 36 38

State executive[edit]

The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of August 2022.

State executive officials in Texas, August 2022
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Greg Abbott
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Dan Patrick
Secretary of State Republican Party John Scott
Attorney General Republican Party Ken Paxton

State legislature[edit]

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Texas State Legislature as of August 2022.

Texas State Senate[edit]

Party As of July 2022
     Democratic Party 13
     Republican Party 18
     Vacancies 0
Total 31

Texas House of Representatives[edit]

Party As of August 2022
     Democratic Party 65
     Republican Party 84
     Vacancies 1
Total 150

Trifecta control[edit]

As of August 2022, Texas was a Republican trifecta, with majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and control of the governorship. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Texas Party Control: 1992-2022
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Demographics[edit]

The table below details demographic data in Texas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.

Demographic Data for Texas (2019)
Texas United States
Population 28,260,856 324,697,795
Land area (sq mi) 261,266 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White 74% 72.5%
Black/African American 12.1% 12.7%
Asian 4.8% 5.5%
Native American 0.5% 0.8%
Pacific Islander 0.1% 0.2%
Two or more 2.7% 3.3%
Hispanic/Latino 39.3% 18%
Education
High school graduation rate 83.7% 88%
College graduation rate 29.9% 32.1%
Income
Median household income $61,874 $62,843
Persons below poverty level 14.7% 13.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019)
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


2022 battleground elections[edit]

See also: Battlegrounds

This election is a battleground race. Other 2022 battleground elections include:

See also[edit]

Texas State Executive Elections News and Analysis
Seal of Texas.png
StateExecLogo.png
Ballotpedia RSS.jpg
Texas State Executive Offices
Texas State Legislature
Texas Courts
2022202120202019201820172016
Texas elections: 2022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links[edit]

Footnotes[edit]



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