Aaron Reitz, former top DOJ official and Paxton aide, launches bid for Texas attorney general
Aaron Reitz, a former senior official at the Department of Justice and veteran of the Texas conservative legal movement, is running for Texas attorney general.
Reitz made his rumored bid public Thursday morning, launching a campaign website that touts his experience "on the frontlines of our state's and nation's most important battles."
'We are in a fight for the soul of Texas, our nation and Western Civilization itself,' Reitz said in a press release. 'If we lose Texas, we lose the Republic. As attorney general, I'll use every ounce of legal firepower to defend President Trump, crush the radical Left, advance the America and Texas First agenda, and look out for everyday Texans.'
Until recently, Reitz led the DOJ's Office of Legal Policy, a high-ranking department that advises the Trump administration on legal strategy, legislation and judicial appointments. He left the post Wednesday, penning a resignation letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi in which he touted the agency's strides in restoring "a justice system corroded by left-wing lawfare" during the 72 days he spent there.
Before joining the Trump administration, Reitz was chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and deputy attorney general for legal strategy under Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Reitz is the second candidate to declare for the March 2026 Republican primary to succeed Paxton, who is forgoing reelection to challenge GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. State Sen. Mayes Middleton, a Republican from Galveston, entered the race for attorney general in April.
Middleton brings more electoral experience than Reitz, whose one effort to run for the state House earned him less than 15% of the primary vote. But Reitz brings experience in the trenches of the conservative legal juggernaut that is the Texas Office of the Attorney General. He led the agency's barrage of lawsuits against the Biden administration, including the failed attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election in four key battleground states.
A slew of Trump officials applauded Reitz's service and cheered his return to Texas on X. FBI Director Kash Patel, who also rose to his perch through conservative legal circles, voiced tacit support for Reitz's attorney general bid Wednesday, calling him "a personal friend, great American, and a relentless advocate for law and order" before adding, "now it's time to deliver on his next mission."
On a 2021 podcast, Reitz laid out his philosophy that the Texas attorney general's office considers itself to be at war with 'the forces that want to destroy the American order, root and branch.'
'Our soldiers are lawyers, and our weapons are lawsuits, and our tactic is lawfare,' he said. 'This is the project that we're engaged in.' On the campaign website, he said Texas had 'the single most important state attorney general office in the country,' and if elected, he would ensure its 'full weight' is behind Trump's agenda.
'This is how we will defend the sovereignty of the United States at our southern border, preserve Texans' Constitutional rights, eradicate wokeness in all its forms, and ensure every Texan has a chance to succeed,' the website says.
In nominating Reitz to the Justice Department, Trump called him a 'true MAGA attorney, a warrior for our Constitution.' The Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination on a party-line vote, after significant pushback from Democrats. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the panel, called him a 'danger to the rule of law' and 'completely unfit to serve in any role in the Department of Justice.'
Democrats homed in on Reitz's statement from his confirmation hearing that there is 'no hard and fast rule' on whether public officials are always bound by court rulings, as well as thousands of deleted tweets showing his staunch opposition to gay marriage, abortion and criminal justice reform.
Reitz, a graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Texas School of Law, also served in the Marine Corps. He was deployed to Afghanistan and remains a member of the Marine Corps Reserve.
Disclosure: Texas A&M University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer.
Get tickets.
TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
36 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Bolton Says the US Mission in Iran Is Not Done Yet
John Bolton, former National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump, talks about the attack against Iran, how Iran could respond and the prospect of a wider war in the Middle East. He is on a special edition of "Balance of Power." (Source: Bloomberg)
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
As bombs and missiles fall in Iran, Isfahan's architectural treasures face an uncertain fate
While military strategists scramble to learn the damage done by U.S. bombs and missiles in Iran, many scholars and Iranian Americans are wondering what this means for the people and architectural treasures of Isfahan. The Isfahan area, which includes one of the three Iranian nuclear sites that the U.S. targeted Saturday, is also home to one of the country's most historic cities, full of landmarks from Persia's years as a regional power in the 17th century. 'The Shah Mosque of Isfahan is one of the everlasting masterpieces of architecture In Iran,' wrote archidesiign on Instagram. The city's architecture includes intricately tiled mosques, several stately bridges and a sprawling square that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. American and Israeli military leaders focus on the nuclear complex 14 miles east of Isfahan and the 2.2 million people in the city, but the list of cultural assets there is also long. A UNESCO report recently noted that the region's 17th-century leaders 'established colourful tiling as the most salient characteristic of Iranian architecture, and this decorative style reached its zenith in Isfahan.' Among the landmarks: Naqsh-e Jahan Square, also known as Shah Square and Imam Square, was laid out between 1598 and 1629, its broad central area surrounded by mosques, palaces and the Isfahan Bazaar. The open space is about 1,800 feet long and about 520 feet wide, which appears to make it the second-largest public square in the world, surpassed only by Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Masjed-e Jāmé, also known as the Jāmé Mosque or Great Mosque of Isfahan, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012. It goes back to the year 841, its grounds showing how Islamic architecture has evolved over 12 centuries. It is the oldest Friday (congregational) mosque in Iran. The Si-o-Se Pol Bridge, also known as the Bridge of 33 Arches, was begun in 1599 and completed in 1602. Illuminated by night, it harbors tea houses on its lower deck and has served as a gathering spot for generations. At 977 feet long, it is the largest of 11 historic bridges spanning the Zayandeh River. Khaju Bridge is younger and shorter than the Si-o-Se Pol Bridge but is often billed as the most beautiful bridge in Isfahan. It was built around 1650 and made of stone and bricks with tile work above its arches. It is about 449 feet long. As the U.S. stepped into the war between Israel and Iran, U.S. military authorities told the New York Times they targeted Iranian sites in Fordo and Natanz with 'bunker-buster' bombs and Isfahan with missiles from a submarine. As of noon Sunday, CNN reported 18 destroyed or damaged structures at the Isfahan nuclear complex outside the city, which was built in 1984 and is thought to employ 3,000 scientists, making it Iran's largest nuclear research complex. There were no reports of damage or casualties in central Isfahan. Much of the city goes back to the Safavid dynasty, which lasted unbroken from 1501 to 1722. During the dynasty's peak years, the Safavids held power over what is now Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Armenia, along with parts of Georgia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Türkiye and other countries. The leader during many of those peak years was King Abbas I, also known as Abbas the Great, who assumed power at age 16, ruled from 1587 to 1629, chose Isfahan as his empire's capital and effectively rerouted the Silk Road to include the city. While Shakespeare was writing plays in England and Caravaggio was painting in Italy, Isfahan's landmarks were taking shape and, thanks to the Silk Road trade, Persian rugs began showing up in the homes of wealthy Europeans. Toward the end of his tenure, nervous about succession, Abbas I had one of his sons killed and two blinded. Still, the family dynasty continued for another century. Once the dynasty fell, Isfahan lost its status as Persia's capital but retained its reputation for beauty.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump blasts Thomas Massie on Truth Social, threatens to primary NKY congressman
Donald Trump and Republican Thomas Massie are continuing to butt heads as the president berated the Northern Kentucky congressman in a recent Truth Social post. Much like he did in May, Trump once again called Massie a "grandstander' in the June 22 post after the representative of Kentucky's 4th Congressional District has repeatedly opposed the administration's policies. "Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky is not MAGA, even though he likes to say he is. Actually, MAGA doesn't want him, doesn't know him, and doesn't respect him. He is a negative force who almost always Votes 'NO,' no matter how good something may be." Trump wrote in the Truth Social post. "MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!" The two share a complicated history, with Massie upsetting Trump the first time in 2024 after Massie initially endorsed candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during his 2024 presidential bid, though he did endorse Trump just days before the election. Massie also publicly opposed Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," on Instagram in May, stating that it will add $20 trillion of federal debt over 10 years. Trump's most recent social media reaction followed Massie's fiery response on X to his administration's announcement of the bombings in Iran, calling the act "unconstitutional". Massie went on to say: "When two countries are bombing each other daily in a hot war, and a third country joins the bombing, that's an act of war. I'm amazed at the mental gymnastics being undertaken by neocons in DC (and their social media bots) to say we aren't at war… so they can make war." Massie recently joined Ro Khanna, D-Calif., in introducing a resolution that would block U.S. involvement in the conflict between Iran and Israel without congressional approval. Massie's stance drew a rebuke from Trump himself, who wrote in the June 22 post that Massie is "weak, ineffective" and "disrespectful to our military." Trump again promised to back a Republican primary challenge to Massie. Previously, Massie told The Enquirer, "I think every time that I've made my case to the people, even if it's been contrary to what the president wanted at the time, it's eventually worked out for me. And so I'm going to stick with doing what I think is right and making my case to the people." Massie represents almost two dozen counties in and around Northern Kentucky. All of those counties voted for Trump in the past three presidential elections. But while other GOP politicians have lost reelection after losing Trump's support, Massie has dominated every election cycle since he took office in 2012. He was primaried by two candidates in 2024 and beat them with about 76% of the vote. Enquirer reporter Jolene Almendarez contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Trump fires back at Rep. Thomas Massie in newest Truth Social post
