Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) announced his retirement from Congress to run for Texas’s Attorney General position on Monday evening.
“It’s my honor to let you know that we’ve reached our initial goal of raising $1 million in order to start a run for Texas Attorney General. So I will be filing to run for Texas Attorney General,” Gohmert said in a video.
Earlier this month, Gohmert announced his candidacy was contingent upon raising $1 million in 10 days.
Gohmert has represented Texas’s first congressional district for 16 years. He said:
A priority will be election integrity, so that every legal vote counts. Though our current AG has had two terms, it seems he really started working harder after so many of his most honorable and very top people in the AG’s office left complaining of criminal conduct.
“If you allow me I will not wait to be my busiest until after there’s some bad press about legal improprieties, I’ll start boldly protecting your rights on day one,” Gohmert said.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, which are still outstanding. Additionally, the FBI investigated Paxton after his former top aides alleged he used his office to benefit Nate Paul, a wealthy donor to Paxton’s campaign.
Gohmert’s candidacy places him in a crowded field of Republican candidates who have already announced their campaigns. Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman, Texas General Land Commissioner George P. Bush, and Texas Republican State Rep. Matt Krause are already running. There are also three Democrat candidates in the race for Texas Attorney General.
“Unconstitutional mandates will not be tolerated from anyone. Parental consent is still an important concept in America, and especially in Texas. The invasion across our southern border has to stop, but they’re still pouring in,” he said.
“Changing voting laws by anyone but the legislature is also unconstitutional. Our AG was suing other states as I would have, but he failed to ensure Texas abided by the same constitutional provisions that he was suing the other states for violating,” said Gohmert.