# Democrat Nathan Johnson runs for attorney general > Nathan Johnson, a former Dragon Ball Z composer, bets on rule of law over partisan fights for Texas attorney general. - Title: Democrat Nathan Johnson runs for attorney general | Shortify - Summary: Nathan Johnson, a former Dragon Ball Z composer, bets on rule of law over partisan fights for Texas attorney general. - Keywords: nathan johnson, mayes middleton, texas attorney general, ken paxton, democrat, republican, senate district 16, dragon ball z, elton musk, deloitte, broadband funding, ai regulation - Source: The Texas Tribune — https://feeds.texastribune.org/link/16799/17491967/texas-attorney-general-election-nathan-johnson-mayes-middleton - Author: Eleanor Klibanoff - Published: 2026-10-08T10:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: nathan johnson, mayes middleton, texas attorney general, ken paxton, democrat, republican, senate district 16, dragon ball z, elton musk, deloitte, broadband funding, ai regulation ## Johnson runs for attorney general Nathan Johnson, a former Dragon Ball Z composer, runs for Texas attorney general after flipping a GOP district in 2018. > In 2018, a little-known Dallas lawyer named Nathan Johnson took on a well-funded, far-right state senator and won, flipping a district that had been in GOP hands for 30 years. ## Johnson's rule of law approach Johnson promises to focus on rule of law and 'noble' bureaucracies over partisan culture wars. > I’ve tried to run a very serious, substantive campaign from the very beginning, because I think people are hungry for very serious, very substantive work from their elected officials. ## Johnson's background Johnson was a composer for Dragon Ball Z before becoming a corporate litigator in Dallas. > Before Johnson was a corporate litigator at Thompson Coburn in Dallas, he was, of all things, a composer for the anime television show Dragon Ball Z. ## Johnson's Senate career Johnson passed 134 bills on water, power grid and healthcare in Texas Senate. > Over the last eight years, he has passed 134 bills focusing on water, the power grid and healthcare, with the Dallas Morning News editorial board deeming him 'one of the most effective Democratic legislators in Texas.' ## Middleton's oil wealth Middleton has a vast oil and gas fortune he could use to keep the attorney general seat red. > In the years since, national conservatives have come to rely on the state agency as a launchpad for partisan legal battles, and Johnson’s opponent, fellow state Sen. Mayes Middleton, has a vast oil and gas fortune he could call on to keep the seat red. ## Middleton's Trump ties Middleton promises to use the office to enforce Trump's agenda nationwide. > I am 100% pro-Trump, from Day One, I’ve said I’ll use every resource and tool to back up the president, back up his fight to secure our border, to deport illegal immigrants, the list goes on. ## Johnson's AI plan Johnson plans to audit state broadband funding over concerns Elon Musk got a friendly deal. > Over the summer, Johnson rolled out a sweeping plan to use the attorney general’s office to rein in artificial intelligence, and began calling for an audit of the state’s broadband funding over concerns that Elon Musk got a friendly deal. ## Johnson's election strategy Johnson is betting voters will switch from Paxton's culture wars to rule of law approach. > After eight years of culture wars and base drum-beating bravado, people are anxious about their lives, they’re anxious about costs, they’re anxious about employment … and the arguments and tricks of the Republican Party have worn out. ## Middleton's campaign spending Middleton spent $20 million to defeat Chip Roy but only $34,000 in general election ads. > After spending more than $20 million of his own wealth to defeat U.S. Rep. Chip Roy in the primary and runoff, Middleton seems to be keeping his powder dry in the general, dropping just $34,000 on ads and putting no additional money into the race. ## Johnson's stance on Trump Johnson says he would not sue the president for fun but would join lawsuits if necessary. > My approach will not be to sue the president for fun. I have no desire to waste my time tying up resources in litigation against the federal government if I don’t have to. ## Middleton's bathroom bill Middleton supports a law limiting trans facilities but Johnson says he won't enforce it. > Johnson has singled out that law as one he would not devote resources to enforcing, drawing criticism from Middleton, who told the crowd at a recent event that Johnson would 'fight to get men in your little girl’s restroom and locker room.' ## Johnson's polling position Johnson leads in polls but has not surpassed Middleton in undecided voters. > In a September poll, Johnson has yet to surpass Middleton in a poll. But there are voters still up for grabs, 8% of likely voters hadn’t made up their minds, double the undecided share in other statewide contests. ## Johnson's election impact Johnson's election would take attorney general office out of GOP hands. > Johnson’s posture toward the Trump administration, Nolette said, would matter less than the mere fact that his election took the agency out of GOP hands. ## Paxton's legacy Paxton groomed the office into a conservative legal tool for right-wing causes. > Over nearly 12 years running the agency, Paxton has groomed it into a hard-charging, conservative attack dog that has tested novel legal strategies to push right-wing causes through the courts. ## Johnson's campaign ad Johnson released a 30-second ad portraying Middleton as a right-wing zealot. > Johnson released his first television ad this week, a 30-second spot that portrays his opponent as a right-wing zealot, with 'a seven-figure ad buy' behind it, according to the campaign. ## What happens next Johnson could flip the attorney general seat if voters reject partisan legal battles. > Johnson is betting that voters, when educated, will want something different than they’ve had for the last 12 years. ## Key takeaway Nathan Johnson, a former Dragon Ball Z composer, runs for Texas attorney general to counter Mayes Middleton's Trump-aligned approach.