Nathan Johnson

Nathan Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Arizona and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. His career experience includes working as a litigator and mediator at Thompson Coburn LLP and composing musical scores for the TV show Dragon Ball Z.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Senator Nathan Johnson is a Texas State Senator with a proven record of effective public service. He holds a B.S. in physics from the University of Arizona and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a litigator and mediator in the Dallas office of Thompson Coburn LLP, and has composed musical scores for the hit anime series Dragon Ball Z. Johnson is the proud father of three adult children, and enjoys swimming, reading boring books, and making peanut butter.

He brings to the Attorney General’s race both policy depth and legal expertise, along with a reputation for taking on the most difficult problems, asking the hard questions, and working to fix what’s wrong no matter who or what stands in the way. Through his four sessions in office there runs a thread of defending constitutional principles, advocating for responsible, responsive government, and insisting on fairness and consistency in the law.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I’m running to make the OAG run as it should. The OAG should perform the basics well: child support, oversight of various programs (including veterans), advising agencies and the Legislature. It should and must investigate and prosecute corruption instead of participating in it, enforce competition laws in the marketplace, and work with district and county attorneys instead of against them to keep communities safe. It should defend the state and individuals against the lawless infliction of damage by the Trump administration, in concert with Democratic attorneys general across the country. And under my leadership, it will.As state senator, I have passed 135 bills, including legislation to increase penalties on polluters, protect consumers from AI scams and invasions of data privacy, throttle corporate scheming of tax breaks. I have also advanced legislation to reverse the regressive policies that undermine our rights, and battled the legislation that forms the basis of Ken Paxton’s headline machine. I’ve been on the frontline of virtually every Democratic battle, while also passing important legislation.My experience in the Senate has given me a deeper awareness of how the laws we pass often depart from basic legal principles and the Constitution, and how they often produce unjust consequences. Our legal and constitutional frameworks – enshrining rights and process – are monuments of progress, and as Attorney General, I will not let anyone tear them down.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have been the lead voice in advocating for Medicaid expansion in Texas. Despite headwinds, I passed SB 1296 in 2021, which amended Texas insurance law to get private health insurance for 350k previously uninsured low-income Texans.

My “Texas Power Promise” passed accomplishing two aims: first: requires the PUC to develop and finance a $1.8B program to provide sustained emergency power for critical community facilities; second: direct electrical utilities to find and report on ways to better manage future power outages.

In my tenure, I have passed 135 bills and filed hundreds more. I’ve passed legislation to provide better mental health to young people in acute distress, block AI scams, throttled corporate tax abuse, and much more.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Significant endorsements include the Texas AFL-CIO COPE, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Austin Chronicle, and Fort-Worth Star Telegram, members of Congress (Julie Johnson and Marc Veasey), members of the Texas Legislature (including Senators Royce West, Sarah Eckhardt, César Blanco, and Jose Menendez, Reps. Christian Manuel, Venton Jones, Donna Howard, Ramon Romero, and Mary Ann Perez), along with many local and civic leaders, including reproductive rights advocate Amanda Zurawski.

Organization endorsements include the Houston LGBT Caucus, Asian Texans for Justice, Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, and ACC Student Democrats.

Campaign websiteJohnson's campaign website stated the following:As your Attorney General I will:Stop the MAGA Assault and Restore the AG’s Office to Its True PurposeWhile Ken Paxton has turned the OAG into a right-wing headline machine, trampling individual rights and freedoms in order to promote the radical MAGA agenda, the Republicans who want to take his place pledge more of the same: more of whatever Trump and Abbott tell them to do. As your next Attorney General, I will use the power of the Office to defend – and where possible restore – the individual rights and freedoms we have worked so hard to establish, and to uphold the rule of law and honor the Constitution. I will join Democratic AGs from across the country to take Trump to court to block the MAGA machine’s illegal actions that are harming the economy, tearing apart communities, and eroding the foundations of our democracy. Protect Consumers and Make Life More AffordableTexas has laws to protect consumers and promote competition among businesses. As Attorney General, I’ll enforce them. Good businesses will welcome a fair and competitive marketplace that respects the rights and serves the needs of consumers. Bad businesses – those who engage in price gouging, consumer scams, and unfair competition – will learn the rules the hard way. Republicans have demonstrated time and time again that they care more about the donor monopolists who fund their campaigns than about consumers, small businesses and entrepreneurs. As your Attorney General, I will serve as an independent champion for Texas consumers and businesses that want to compete in a market that isn’t rigged against them.Do the Basics – WellFrom collecting child support, to issuing legal opinions that clarify the law and help government run efficiently, to working with city and county governments to finance infrastructure, to ensuring government transparency, good government depends on good people in the Office of Attorney General. Running a MAGA headline machine makes is hard to recruit the best people. Under my leadership people who come to work at the AG’s will care about the people they serve, and will wake up every day feeling good about the service they provide.Root Out Political CorruptionWhether it’s the impeachment of Ken Paxton or of Donald Trump, the Republicans vying to replace the corrupt Ken Paxton have shown that they lack the courage and independence to do what’s right. They only pretend to respect the law. When push comes to shove, they follow the orders of party bosses, right-wing PACs, and billionaire donors, and Trump himself. We can’t count on a “Ken Paxton 2.0” to objectively police political corruption. I will be an independent Attorney General who will investigate and prosecute officials – irrespective of political party – not for revenge or persecution, but to preserve the integrity of public service.Fight Crime and Promote Public SafetyState Attorneys General play a key role in fighting all types of crime. In Texas, the Attorney General’s powers of prosecution are more specific than general. The Texas AG can directly prosecute cases of identity theft, cybercrime, Medicaid fraud, and in some instances human trafficking. But in Texas, primary prosecutorial authority in criminal matters lies with local district attorneys, with the AG playing an important but supportive role in cooperation with the DAs. AG Ken Paxton’s antagonistic approach to district attorneys diverts resources away from prosecuting criminals to dealing with red tape. As Attorney General for this state, I’ll bring the powers of the office to bear on public safety by working with our district attorneys to keep Texans and their property safe. Maintain a Secure Border and State SovereigntyThe Texas border is 1,254 miles long. We need it to be secure, and safe from drug smuggling, human trafficking, and all forms of cross-border criminal enterprise. But, as Americans, we should reject “shock and awe” border policy and tactics that violate the U.S. Constitution. We should reject policy and tactics that damage our sense of decency and fracture our communities. We should refuse to surrender state sovereignty to the federal government. We should not divert vital resources away from public safety to score political points. The Attorney General has a role to play in assuring all of this: assisting with federal enforcement as appropriate, and blocking federal actions when they go too far.— Nathan Johnson's campaign website (January 13, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

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