I have investigated candidates in some races and offer my views for those who want to consider them. In a general election, party affiliation is less important to me than the character and qualifications of the candidates.

Texas US Senator

I have long been voting against Ken Paxton because of many corruption concerns, some of which are addressed below. His Democratic opponent, James Talarico, has championed more public-school funding and opposed vouchers. He has said some other things I do not favor, but no corruption issues arise for him.

Ethical and legal issues with Paxton are analyzed in a Texas Tribune article. In this August’s filing, the last before the election, Paxton moved from using tax values to market ones, resulting in huge increases from his earlier filings. His August one increased his net worth to between one and $27 million. The above article questions whether Paxton’s reported net worth should be larger. Talarico’s filing disclosed a net worth of between $67,000 and $305,000. In his listing for his 2002 election to the Texas House, Paxton listed his assets at $170,0001 (1).

Paxton, as our current Attorney General, has as of September 4 remained silent about the Trump administration currently holding up $10 billion in Texas Medicaid payments. Paxton’s inaction is costing Texas hospitals $27 million a day. Three years ago, Paxton’s office sued the Biden administration for threatening to withhold the same type of funding to hospitals in CHIRP (Comprehensive Hospital Increase Reimbursement Program) (2).

The candidacy of Ken Paxton should be rejected for many other reasons. He used his power as Texas Attorney General to favor a political supporter who employed Paxton’s then-mistress and facilitated Paxton’s extra-marital meetings. After four Paxton assistants reported his conduct to proper investigators, Paxton fired them. They filed suit under the Whistleblower’s Act. Paxton offered to settle with them for $3.3 million with taxpayer money, but the Texas Legislature refused to allow such payment.

The attorneys of the fired employees then tried to depose Paxton, which is a common and expected part of litigation. Paxton refused to be deposed, and in the limited appeal of that issue, the Texas Supreme Court required Paxton to submit to questioning under oath in a deposition. Paxton next filed an amended answer in the Whistleblower suit admitting the factual allegations of the fired assistants, leaving it to the presiding judge to award damages.

Before the Supreme Court decision, Paxton was impeached in 2023 by the Texas House for this and other misconduct. Four thousand pages of evidence were marshaled against Paxton in the trial before the Texas Senate (3). The majority were fellow Republicans with Paxton’s wife being one Senator. Paxton chose not to testify, and only two Republican Senators voted to convict on some counts. The number of the senators who voted to convict him was thus less than the required two-thirds.

Later, when Paxton changed his answer to the Whistleblower suit, the House prosecutor for impeachment announced that Paxton had admitted to what many in the Texas House had known to be true. It was that Paxton flagrantly broke the law, violated the Whistleblower Act and betrayed the trust placed in him by retaliating against his own team, those who bravely reported his illegal actions.

In 2025 the judge awarded the fired assistants $6.6 million dollars plus 7.5% interest compounded annually. Taxpayers are on the hook to pay it, but the Texas legislature may not have yet approved the payment. Paxton vowed to appeal, but by early July of 2025, Paxton had abandoned his frivolous appeal. Also, that month, his wife filed for divorce because of Paxton’s continued adultery. They had not lived together since June of 2024.

Paxton was also subject to a state prosecution for soliciting investors in a technology company without disclosing that the firm was paying him to promote its stock. Prosecution was dropped when Paxton agreed to 100 hours of community service and to pay $271,000 in restitution to those harmed by his actions (4).

Texas Attorney General

This officer represents the state of Texas in legal matters, but the current office holder Ken Paxton turned it into a primarily political position. Republican Mayes Middleton is supported by Paxton and has little experience in the practice of law. Middleton has a law degree but has mainly worked as president of an independent oil and gas company and in running cattle and farming operations. He has served in

the Texas House and currently serves in the Senate.

Democrat Nathan Johnson is a veteran litigator and mediator who also is serving as a Texas State Senator. He is supported by former Republican Texas Supreme Court Justices Thomas Phillips and Deborah Hankinson. Phillips, a former Chief Justice, states that Johnson appears much more focused on carrying out all of the duties of the office rather than political agendas. Hankinson takes issue with

Middleton’s view that the separation of church and state is a false doctrine and a lie. Both root their support of Johnson on the importance of the rule of law and the role of the attorney general as the state’s legal officer. They want to restore a sense of normalcy in the office (5).

An August 27 poll from Texas Public Opinion Research had these two candidates close to each other. I will vote for Nathan Johnson.

Railroad Commissioner

Republican candidate Bo French (6) is an energy trader and former chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party. A Ft. Worth-based political consultant argues that French is seeking this position as a bigger platform for his extreme vision and hateful rhetoric, and that one constant in French’s political career is an attack on people of color both within and outside of our country (7).

It was no surprise that French in mid-September commented on a video of students of South Asian descent cheering from the stands as UT upset Ohio State. He wrote that the scene shows “how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners.” Senator John Cornyn and other Republicans holding state office blasted the comment and called on others to do so. (8) French did not back down from his comment (9), and Karl Rove who masterminded the candidacy of George W. Bush has announced that he will vote for the Democratic opponent of French.

French has called for the denaturalization and deportation of 100 million Americans including all Muslims. His Democratic opponent Josh Rosenthal replies that the immigration proposal will do nothing to make our electric grid more reliable and keep Texas as a world leader in energy production. Rosenthal has served eight terms in the Texas House and offers two decades of direct operational experience in

the oil and gas industry. He proposes weatherization of oil and gas infrastructure and control of the flaring of natural gas. Rosenthal also wants a sufficient deposit to allow the plugging of orphaned oil and gas wells (10).

I will vote for Rosenthal as the best way to defeat French.

Judicial Races

For years I have been guided by the results of a judicial poll open to all Texas attorneys. The names in the poll did not list party affiliation and included all candidates in the primary elections from both parties. I list below the poll numbers for the candidates remaining in in the general election. I do not list party affiliation because it is irrelevant for Texas appellate court candidates, in my opinion.

Texas Supreme Court
For civil cases

Chief Justice Place 7

Jimmy Blacklock                1,678                         Kristin Hawkins                 1,705

Maggie Ellis                       1,259                         Kyle Hawkins                    1,203

Place 2 Place 8

Chari Kelly                         2,112                         Gisela D Triana                 1,989

James P Sullivan               1,508                         Brett Busby                       1,913

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Decides only criminal cases

Place 3                                                                  Place 9

Okey Anyiam                      1,034                         Holly Taylor                        1,529

Thomas Smith                    391                            John Messinger                 799

Place 4

Audry Riley                        1,839

Kevin Yeary                       1,467                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Holly Taylor did something on September 13 that I have never seen done by any other candidate for the above court. It was to visit Lipscomb, Texas, after having personally visited all other counties in the north part of the Texas Panhandle. Taylor told me in Lipscomb that her campaign cannot afford television advertisements, but she and her husband wanted to see most of our state.
She is board certified in Criminal Appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She spent over 17 years as a prosecutor before becoming a criminal defense attorney. They have four adult children and hosted three foreign exchange students. For more information on this impressive candidate, go to www.hollytforjudge.com.

15th Court of Civil Appeals
For specified civil appeals

Chief Justice                                                        Place 2

Scott Brister                      1,957                         Tom Baker                           1,878

Jerry Zimmerer                 1,594                         Scott Fields                         1,523

Place 3

April Farris                        1,878
 

Marc M Meyer                  1,417

31st District Attorney
For unexpired term

No name on ballot

Write-in candidate Leslie Timmons

1 Austin American-Statesman editorial of 10-5-2026 entitled For US Senate Texans deserve Talarico’s service over Paxton’s self-interest.

2 Texas Tribune article of 9-4-26 entitled AG Ken Paxton hasn’t challenged the Trump administration over Texas’ $20 billion Medicaid cut even though he sued Biden.

3 Benson article in Texas Monthly.

4 Benson article above.

5. From article in the USA Today issue of August 31, 2026, entitled “Former GOP Justices back Democrat in Texas Attorney General race.)

6 https://bofrench.com

7 Texas Monthly article on French dated Feb. 10, 2026, by Forrest Wilder

8 Texas Tribune article of 9-13-26 entitled “Several Texas Republicans condemn Bo French’s racist posts calling Asian students at UT a ‘problem’.”

9 The Texas Tribune article of 9-14-26 entitled “Bo French doubles down on racist post made after the UT win over Ohio State.”

10 This paragraph came from an article by Candice Bernd in the Texas Observer dated 9-3-26 entitled “Who Stands Between Texas and a Fascist Railroad Commissioner?”