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Republican

Incumbent

Joan Huffman

Republican

Incumbent

Joan Huffman

Texas Republican Attorney General nominee?

$295.5K

MAY 27, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Overview

Current roleState Senator

PartyRepublican

Political ideologyConservative Republican

Age69 years old (Aug 17, 1956)

GenderFemale

LocationTexas

BackgroundAttorney

EducationLouisiana State University — B.A.

Notable personal detailsJoan J. Huffman is a Republican attorney and politician who has represented Texas Senate District 17 since 2008. She previously worked in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, serving as a prosecutor and later as chief felony prosecutor, and was elected judge of the 183rd Criminal District Court in Harris County. She earned a B.A. from Louisiana State University and a J.D. from South Texas College of Law. She has chaired major Texas Senate committees including Finance and State Affairs and served as president pro tempore of the Texas Senate from 2019 to 2021.

SourcesShow

senate.texas.gov lrl.texas.gov en.wikipedia.org wikidata.org joanhuffman.com kltv.com texastribune.org txdirectory.com change.org salaries.texastribune.org texaspolicyresearch.com spectrumlocalnews.com texasgop.org txcourts.gov txroundtable.com capitol.texas.gov comptroller.texas.gov ktrh.iheart.com houstonpublicmedia.org journals.senate.texas.gov justfacts.votesmart.org abc13.com houstonchronicle.com texassenategop.com expressnews.com tpr.org chron.com ltgov.texas.gov keranews.org people.com instagram.com thetexasvoice.com thetexan.news politico.com newsfromthestates.com cbsnews.com wfaa.com ballotpedia.org facebook.com x.com ballotready.org huffman.house.gov democrats-judiciary.house.gov congress.gov gonzales.house.gov docquery.fec.gov govinfo.gov cdn.ballotpedia.org fletcher.house.gov

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Joan Huffman supports conservative fiscal policy that emphasizes tax relief for homeowners and businesses, restrained government spending, and targeted tax exemptions. As chair of the Senate Finance Committee she sponsored budgets prioritizing large property tax cuts and conservative budgeting principles while proposing selective spending on priorities such as teacher pay and infrastructure. She has also backed eliminating the sales tax on feminine hygiene products.

Healthcare

Joan Huffman supports expanding access to care, lowering costs, and increasing transparency. She sponsored and passed measures to expand telemedicine, cap insulin prices, increase funding for mental health and women’s health programs, eliminate sales tax on certain health products, and authored legislation to create a dementia research institute.

Immigration & Border

Supports strong border enforcement and increased funding for state border operations; has sponsored legislation to restrict rights and release options for people in Texas without legal status (e.g., denying bail, preventing community-time credits) and supported construction/funding for border barriers.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Joan Huffman identifies as pro-life and supports restrictions on abortion, emphasizing protection of the unborn. She was listed as a joint author on the Texas Senate’s SB 8 (the Texas “heartbeat”/six-week abortion restriction) and public materials highlight her stance of "standing up for the unborn."

Public Safety & Guns

Joan Huffman has a pro-gun record as a Texas state senator, voting for permitless/constitutional-carry provisions and other measures that expand where Texans may carry firearms, while also sponsoring legislation to improve reporting of certain court mental-health determinations to the federal background-check system. She has received an endorsement from the NRA and has described licensed open carry as having little effect on law enforcement.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedMar 11, 2026

State Sen. Joan Huffman is running in the Texas GOP primary for attorney general in the open-seat race created by Ken Paxton’s Senate bid. She has been campaigning by emphasizing conservative credentials and legislative experience, and she participated in a Dallas primary debate alongside Chip Roy, Aaron Reitz, and Mayes Middleton. Recent polling cited in coverage shows Roy leading, with Huffman among the trailing contenders as the March 3, 2026 primary approaches and a runoff remains possible if no candidate clears 50%.

senate.texas.gov+48

Articles

CNCBS News4 months ago