01-05-2025
Elon Musk's attorney John Bash drops out of Texas Attorney General race
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — John Bash's campaign to replace Ken Paxton as Texas Attorney General lasted for just 21 days.
'Today, I've made the difficult decision to leave the race for Texas AG,' Bash wrote on X Wednesday evening. 'On Friday, our family had a health scare that threw into sharp focus how I should prioritize my time right now, and that is not running for office.'
Bash announced his campaign on April 9, drawing headlines not only for being the first major candidate to enter the race, but for his ties to billionaire Elon Musk. Bash currently represents Musk in a defamation case after Musk amplified social media posts falsely placing a California man at a clash involving far-right protesters near an Oregon Pride festival.
Bash spoke with State of Texas two weeks ago, highlighting his record as the former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas — contrasting it with the record of State Senator and oil and gas businessman Mayes Middleton, R – Galveston.
'I'm not a career politician. I've never run for office before,' he said. '(Attorney General is) not a position you use to advance your political career. It's a real working position that needs to come up with legal strategies to keep our citizens safe, to keep them prosperous.'
In his post announcing the end of his campaign, Bash slightly changed his tune about Middleton.
'The other candidate in the race, Senator @mayes_middleton, has served Texas honorably in the Legislature, and I know him to be a good man,' Bash wrote. Despite the compliments, he failed to endorse any candidates for the job. 'I will be rooting for the next AG to represent our great State with distinction and to continue the impactful work of General @KenPaxtonTX.'
With Bash out of the race, Middleton is the only person publicly running to replace Paxton. The election is in November 2026.
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