John Bash, first candidate to enter Texas attorney general’s race, exits

John Bash, seen in 2018, has worked in the private sector since leaving his role as a federal prosecutor in 2020, including representing Elon Musk in a defamation lawsuit. (Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune)

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Former U.S. Attorney John Bash, the first to announce a bid to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton, announced on Wednesday he was withdrawing from the race, citing personal family reasons.

Bash, a former Western District of Texas prosecutor and special assistant to President Donald Trump in his first term, said in a social media post that his family had a health scare that “threw into sharp focus” his priorities.

“I still believe I have the right experience and judgment for the job. But the timing isn’t right for our young family,” Bash said in the post.

The end of Bash’s campaign comes less than a month after he was the first to publicly announce his entry into the attorney general’s race on April 10. The opening for a new attorney general was created after Paxton announced his own bid to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for the seat.

Paxton will still serve his full term as attorney general, but cannot run for more than one position. His term ends in 2026.

With Bash’s withdrawal, state Sen. Mayes Middleton is currently the only candidate with a public campaign for attorney general. Bash complimented the Galveston Republican in his announcement and said he was a good man who “served Texas honorably in the Legislature.”

Since resigning from his role as a federal prosecutor in 2020, Bash has worked in the private sector, including representing Elon Musk in a defamation lawsuit brought by a former college student.

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