Former U.S. Attorney John Bash announced bid for Texas Attorney General

AUSTIN, Texas - Former U.S. Attorney John Bash has announced his candidacy for Texas Attorney General.

This comes one day after current AG Ken Paxton announced his intentions to run for U.S. Senate against John Cornyn.

Who is John Bash?

What we know:

John Bash served as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas during President Trump's first term.

According to his announcement, Bash made aggressive efforts to combat drug trafficking, human smuggling, corruption, child abuse, murder, and terrorism during his tenure.

Bash says he secured life sentences for a top Los Zetas cartel member and a human smuggler responsible for the deaths of 10 people, as well as convictions against national leaders of a notorious motorcycle gang. He says he also prosecuted a married couple suspected of abusing at least 25 children, who received life sentences.

He states he was also part of the federal response to the 2018 Austin bombings and indicted the suspect in the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting on 90 federal counts, including 23 capital charges.

Bash is also a former law clerk to Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia and Brett Kavanaugh.

He is a native of El Paso and currently lives in Austin with his wife and three children.

What they're saying:

"The Texas Attorney General’s office is charged with protecting the well-being and constitutional rights of Texans – the first and last line of defense to preserve our safety, security, and prosperity, at the local and national levels. The leader of that office must be ready—on Day 1—to confront the full range of threats to our communities: organized cartels trafficking drugs and human beings; violent gangs terrorizing our neighborhoods; mega-corporations suppressing conservative voices; unscrupulous businesses cheating our consumers and stifling free markets; and activist judges trampling individual rights and allowing lawfare to run rampant in their courtrooms. I am that leader," Bash said.

Bash continued, "The stakes have never been higher. The Trump Administration faces daily challenges from activist judges and nationwide injunctions, and it needs legal allies who know how to fight these high-stakes battles. As we look ahead to 2028, there is no guarantee that the Republican Party will hold the presidency. Should a far-left figure rise to power, Texas will need the toughest, most experienced legal representation to defend our way of life."

What's next:

Candidate filing for the 2026 primary and general election has not yet opened in Texas.