Under previous law, operators could keep inactive wells up indefinitely.
Mayes Middleton
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Former GOP Texas Supreme Court justices back Democrat for attorney general
Democrat Nathan Johnson is hoping to capture moderate Republicans and independents to defeat conservative Mayes Middleton in November. The GOP has controlled the office since the 1990s.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Ken Paxton and James Talarico are neck and neck in U.S. Senate race, new poll finds
The vast majority of Republicans indicated they had moved on from the bitter GOP primary and now support Paxton. Talarico had commanding leads among independents and moderates.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Mayes Middleton defeats Chip Roy for Texas attorney general GOP nomination
Middleton, a conservative state senator and oil and gas executive, put more than $16 million of his own money into the race.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Texas’ raucous primary runoffs end today. Here’s what to watch.
John Cornyn is trying to fend off Ken Paxton. Both parties are picking attorney general nominees. And an oil and gas regulatory race has become uncharacteristically costly.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
GOP megadonor turned attorney general front-runner: How Mayes Middleton’s largesse fueled his rise
Middleton helped fund the Legislature’s swing to the right, and an internecine challenge to Ken Paxton. But that’s nothing next to the money he’s spent on himself.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
In GOP attorney general runoff, two hard-right conservatives spar over experience, Trump loyalty
State Sen. Mayes Middleton says Rep. Chip Roy betrayed the MAGA movement, while Roy says Middleton isn’t qualified to work at the attorney general’s office, let alone lead it.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Dan Patrick picks sides in Texas attorney general, Railroad Commission GOP runoffs
The lieutenant governor endorsed state Sen. Mayes Middleton over U.S. Rep. Chip Roy for the Republican attorney general nod. And he backed Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright over challenger Bo French.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Ken Paxton narrowly leads John Cornyn in new poll of Texas’ Senate GOP runoff
The University of Houston survey results were within the margin of error less than a month out from the May 26 election. State Sen. Mayes Middleton had a wider lead in the attorney general primary.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Texas AG runoff: Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy weigh in on election integrity, lawsuits and more
Texas’ next top lawyer will take over a key driver of the conservative legal movement. We revisited the major issues in an updated Q&A with the two remaining Republican candidates.