Texans to decide on a new attorney general and four other state executive offices on Nov. 3

2026 Midterm Election

Aside from the high-profile races for governor and lieutenant governor, five other state executive offices are also up for reelection on Tuesday, Nov. 3: Texas Attorney General, Texas Comptroller, Agriculture Commissioner, GLO Commissioner and Railroad Commissioner.

Texas Attorney General

With Ken Paxton running for U.S. Senate, the Texas Attorney General’s Office will have a new top lawyer for the first time in more than 11 years. The attorney general is the state’s chief legal officer and the constitutional executive official who represents the state in litigation, defends the state’s laws and constitution and approves public bond issues. Candidates are elected to four-year terms and there are no term limits.

This year there are three candidates seeking to replace Paxton: Republican Mayes Middleton, a longtime state legislator who was twice elected to the State House (2019-2023) and in 2022 was elected to the State Senate to represent Dist. 11. Middleton advanced to the general election after beating challenger Chip Roy in a primary runoff. Democrat Nathan Johnson is also hoping to fill Paxton’s seat. Johnson is a Texas State Senator (Dist. 16) first elected in 2019. His current term ends in 2029. Johnson advanced to the general after beating Joe Jaworski in a primary runoff. Libertarian Tom Oxford is also in the race after being advanced from the party convention in April.

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

In December 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott said acting Comptroller of Public Accounts Kelly Hancock was his choice to fill the role permanently and continue serving Texans as the state’s chief financial officer, tax collector, accountant, and revenue estimator. The majority of voters disagreed, however, and Hancock lost the March primary to North Texas businessman and former Republican State Senator Don Huffines. After being ousted in the primary, Hancock stepped down as acting comptroller over the summer and Abbott installed the party nominee as the acting comptroller until voters make their choice on Nov. 3.

Challenging Huffines for the permanent job will be Democrat Sarah Eckhardt, a State Senator since 2020 whose current term ends in 2029, Libertarian V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza and Green Party candidate Shehla Faizi. Neither Echavarria-Garza nor Faizi has held public office.

Texas Commissioner of the General Land Office

The Commissioner of the General Land Office leads the oldest agency in the state and manages public lands, natural resources and the state’s vast collection of historical sites. Incumbent Dawn Buckingham, a former State Senator who was unopposed in the March primary, is running for a second four-year term leading the GLO.

Buckingham is challenged by Democrat Benjamin Flores, a one-time member of the Bay City City Council and Libertarian Neill Snider, a mechanical contractor and cattle rancher from Waco.

Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

In recent years, longtime Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller found himself at odds with Gov. Greg Abbott over accusations of impropriety and major policy issues and, as a result, did not receive the governor’s endorsement before the March primary. Despite Miller leading the Texas Department of Agriculture for 11 years, voters chose Abbott’s pick, Nate Sheets, in the primary.

Sheets is a cattle and horse rancher who founded a honey company. He’ll be challenged for the seat by Democrat Clayton Tucker, a self-described rancher and organizer, and Libertarian Austin R. Kelly, an agricultural scientist.

The Texas Agriculture Commissioner is elected every four years and manages state programs that impact farming and ranching, school nutrition, consumer protection and rural economic development and health.

Railroad Commission of Texas

The Railroad Commission of Texas, despite its name, no longer regulates railroads (that’s TxDOT’s responsibility now). The agency now regulates the state’s energy industry, including oil and natural gas, pipelines, natural gas utilities and infrastructure and surface mining operations.

Three railroad commissioners are elected statewide to six-year, staggered terms every two years. After each election, the three commissioners choose a chairman from among their ranks.

Jim Wright, a current commissioner, lost his March primary to challenger Bo French, who will face Democrat Jon Rosenthal and Libertarian Arthur Dibianca in November.

Early voting for the midterm election runs Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

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