TEXAS — Following a short exploratory and fundraising period, Republican Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert late on Monday announced he will challenge state Attorney General Ken Paxton in the 2022 primary.
“A priority will be election integrity so that every legal votes counts. Though our current AG has had two terms it seems he really starting working harder after so many of his most honorable and very top people in the AG’s office left, complaining of criminal conduct,” Gohmert said in a campaign video posted to YouTube.
“If you allow me I will not wait to be my busiest until after there’s some bad press about legal improprieties,” Gohmert continued. “I’ll start boldly protecting your rights on Day 1. Unconstitutional mandates will not be tolerated from anyone.”
Gohmert’s announcement came after he raised $1 million in just a little over a week. He joins a crowded field of Republicans vying for the job, but it is a little smaller now. State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, has ended his run for Texas attorney general and will instead seek to be Tarrant County district attorney.
Gohmert still has Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman to contend with.
“The invasion across our southern border has to stop,” Gohmert continued in the campaign video, “but they’re still pouring in. Changing voting laws by anyone but the Legislature is also unconstitutional. Our AG was suing other states, as I would have, but he failed to ensure Texas abided by the same constitutional provisions that he was suing the other states for violating.”
Paxton remains under investigation by the FBI over allegations of bribery and abuse of office. He also remains under indictment for accusations of securities fraud in 2016. He denies wrongdoing in both cases.
Gohmert is known as one of the most far-right Republicans in the Texas congressional delegation. He’s repeated former President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the election was stolen and suggested the Jan. 6 riot was a left-wing conspiracy.