U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican who has represented Texas’ 21st Congressional District since 2019, said on 21 Aug. that he will leave Capitol Hill to run for Texas attorney general in the 2026 election. Roy’s bid seeks to succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has decided against another term while he pursues the GOP nomination to challenge Sen. John Cornyn. The move places Roy, 53, into what is expected to be a crowded Republican primary for the state’s top law-enforcement post. A former federal prosecutor and onetime first assistant attorney general under Paxton, Roy has built a reputation in Washington as a conservative hard-liner and frequent critic of party leadership. He has sparred with President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, and was one of the few House Republicans to back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 presidential primaries. Roy’s departure highlights a broader trend of House Freedom Caucus members seeking statewide office; colleagues including Reps. Byron Donalds, Andy Biggs and Ralph Norman have announced gubernatorial bids in their respective states.