Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt made his candidacy for Attorney General official on Tuesday, joining the Democratic primary for the job.
Merritt, an attorney best known for his work in civil rights and police brutality cases, launched his candidacy on Tuesday, joining what is already a growing field on both sides of the aisle. In a letter shown on the landing page of his campaign website, Merritt highlighted his background and priorities as a candidate in the race.
“I'm a civil rights attorney and community organizer, and have dedicated my life to tackling the issues of police brutality, hate crimes, and corporate discrimination,” Merritt says in a letter posted to his campaign website. “Now, I’m running to be the People’s Attorney General. Together, we will fight for all Texans, no matter their background, race, religion, party or class.”
With Merritt’s entry into the race, five candidates are now officially in the race for Attorney General. Alongside Merritt, former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski is seeking the Democratic nomination, while Republican incumbent Ken Paxton is being challenged in his primary by Land Commissioner George P. Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman.
Candidates can file to run for office through December. The primary elections will likely be held sometime in the middle of next year.