Nathan Johnson Vows to Preserve Paxton's Big Tech Crackdown in 2026 Texas AG Race
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 24
Nathan Johnson Vows to Preserve Paxton's Big Tech Crackdown in 2026 Texas AG Race
2 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 24
Summary
Nathan Johnson, the Democratic nominee for Texas attorney general, said he would keep Ken Paxton’s aggressive litigation against major tech companies if elected, calling it a rare part of Paxton’s record worth preserving.
Johnson said voter anger over privacy breaches, consumer manipulation and weak federal enforcement creates an opening for state attorneys general to press Texas consumer-protection and privacy cases more aggressively.
Texas’ 2026 race remains an uphill fight for Johnson — no Democrat has won statewide since 1990 — and Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton is favored as Paxton leaves the office to run for U.S. Senate.
Two breaks with Paxton’s approach would define Johnson’s version of the crackdown: he said Elon Musk and his companies would get no political pass, and he would rely less on outside law firms and more on in-house expertise.
Johnson also pledged to avoid headline-driven or frivolous suits, framing his approach as sustained rule enforcement rather than litigation timed to political ambitions.