# 2018 Texas Attorney General election

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Government :
vte :
The 2018 Texas Attorney General election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the Attorney General of Texas. Incumbent Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton ran for re-election. The Democratic Party nominated attorney Justin Nelson.
Paxton was narrowly re-elected to a second term by a 3.56% margin of victory.

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Ken Paxton, incumbent attorney general

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Ken Paxton (incumbent) | 1,312,172 | 100% | +55.55% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,312,172 | 100% | +32,112 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 8.6%* | −0.81%* |
*Percentage of turnout to registered voters

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Justin Nelson, Susman Godfrey partner

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Justin Nelson | 884,376 | 100% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 884,376 | 100% | +446,858 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 5.79%* | +2.57%* |
*Percentage of turnout to registered voters

## Libertarian convention
### Nominated

* Michael Ray Harris, attorney

## General election
### Endorsements

U.S. executive branch officials
* Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States
Organizations
* National Rifle Association of America
* Open Carry Texas

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ken Paxton (R) | Justin Nelson (D) | Michael Ray Harris (L) | Other | Undecided |
| Dixie Strategies | September 6–7, 2018 | 519 | ± 4.3% | 45% | 39% | 2% | – | 15% |
| Texas Lyceum | July 9–26, 2018 | 441 | ± 4.7% | 35% | 25% | 4% | – | 37% |
| Gravis Marketing | July 3–7, 2018 | 602 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 41% | – | – | 14% |
| UoT/Texas Tribune | June 8–17, 2018 | 1,200 | ± 2.83% | 32% | 31% | 6% | 4% | 26% |
| Baselice & Associates (R-TLRPAC) | May 21–28, 2018 | – | – | 45% | 33% | – | – | – |

### Results

General election results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Ken Paxton (incumbent) | 4,193,207 | 50.57% | −8.23% |
| | Democratic | Justin Nelson | 3,898,098 | 47.01% | +8.99% |
| | Libertarian | Michael Ray Harris | 201,310 | 2.43% | −0.10% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,292,615 | 100% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

#### By congressional district

Paxton won 21 of 36 congressional districts, with the remaining 15 going to Nelson, including two that elected Republicans.
| District | Paxton | Nelson | Representative |
| 1st | 71% | 28% | Louie Gohmert |
| 2nd | 50% | 48% | Ted Poe |
| 2nd | 50% | 48% | Dan Crenshaw |
| 3rd | 51% | 46% | Sam Johnson |
| 3rd | 51% | 46% | Van Taylor |
| 4th | 73% | 25% | John Ratcliffe |
| 5th | 59% | 39% | Jeb Hensarling |
| 5th | 59% | 39% | Lance Gooden |
| 6th | 51% | 47% | Joe Barton |
| 6th | 51% | 47% | Ron Wright |
| 7th | 46% | 52% | John Culberson |
| 7th | 46% | 52% | Lizzie Fletcher |
| 8th | 71% | 27% | Kevin Brady |
| 9th | 19% | 80% | Al Green |
| 10th | 49% | 48% | Michael McCaul |
| 11th | 76% | 21% | Mike Conaway |
| 12th | 60% | 38% | Kay Granger |
| 13th | 78% | 20% | Mac Thornberry |
| 14th | 57% | 41% | Randy Weber |
| 15th | 41% | 57% | Vicente Gonzalez |
| 16th | 28% | 68% | Beto O'Rourke |
| 16th | 28% | 68% | Veronica Escobar |
| 17th | 54% | 43% | Bill Flores |
| 18th | 20% | 78% | Sheila Jackson Lee |
| 19th | 70% | 27% | Jodey Arrington |
| 20th | 33% | 64% | Joaquín Castro |
| 21st | 49% | 48% | Lamar Smith |
| 21st | 49% | 48% | Chip Roy |
| 22nd | 50% | 48% | Pete Olson |
| 23rd | 47% | 50% | Will Hurd |
| 24th | 48% | 49% | Kenny Marchant |
| 25th | 52% | 46% | Roger Williams |
| 26th | 57% | 40% | Michael Burgess |
| 27th | 59% | 38% | Michael Cloud |
| 28th | 39% | 59% | Henry Cuellar |
| 29th | 26% | 73% | Gene Green |
| 29th | 26% | 73% | Sylvia Garcia |
| 30th | 18% | 80% | Eddie Bernice Johnson |
| 31st | 50% | 46% | John Carter |
| 32nd | 45% | 53% | Pete Sessions |
| 32nd | 45% | 53% | Colin Allred |
| 33rd | 22% | 75% | Marc Veasey |
| 34th | 40% | 57% | Filemon Vela Jr. |
| 35th | 28% | 69% | Lloyd Doggett |
| 36th | 70% | 28% | Brian Babin |