Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tuesday threw his support behind state Sen. Mayes Middleton in the GOP primary for Texas attorney general, giving the Galveston Republican a boost in the final weeks of his May 26 runoff against U.S. Rep. Chip Roy.<\/p>\n
Patrick also endorsed Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright in his contest against Bo French, the GOP activist and energy investor whose controversial comments have drawn Patrick\u2019s past ire.<\/p>\n
In a pair of social media posts, the lieutenant governor said Middleton had<\/a> \u201cestablished a record as one of the most conservative senators in Texas history\u201d and that Wright had the experience<\/a> needed to guide the agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, amid high gas prices and a rocky energy market. <\/p>\n The endorsements from the state\u2019s second-highest elected official came several hours after a new statewide poll<\/a> found Middleton leading Roy by nine points among likely voters. The Galveston lawmaker has served in the Senate under Patrick, the chamber\u2019s presiding officer, since 2023.<\/p>\n Middleton, an oil and gas businessman, was the top vote-getter in the March 3<\/a> primary, in which Roy finished second. The Austin congressman, known for bucking GOP leadership in Washington in pursuit of spending cuts and other crusades, began the race as the favorite but has seen his lead erode against the weight of Middleton\u2019s self-funded campaign<\/a>. <\/p>\n In lending his backing to Wright, meanwhile, Patrick delivered the latest blow against French, the former Tarrant County GOP chair who has come under scrutiny from other Republicans at times for racist and antisemitic remarks. <\/p>\n