Record Fundraising Fuels Heated State Attorney General Campaigns Nationwide

State attorney general races are drawing unprecedented financial support as these positions gain political prominence. Republican groups raised $29 million while Democratic organizations brought in $28 million, double their usual totals at this stage.

While congressional races dominate election headlines this November, state attorney general contests are quietly attracting massive financial backing from partisan organizations, corporate donors, and advocacy groups as these positions gain unprecedented influence in national politics.

Republican campaign organizations supporting these races achieved a fundraising milestone last year, collecting $29 million in preparation for the 2026 elections. Their Democratic rivals secured $28 million, representing double their typical fundraising totals during this phase of the electoral cycle.

Approximately 30 attorney general positions face voters this year. Contributions are streaming in from technology corporations, tobacco manufacturers, and other industries that may encounter legal challenges from state prosecutors. The funding includes substantial donations from legal practices, labor organizations, and ideological advocacy groups, highlighting the position’s elevated status in national policy discussions and as a pathway to higher elected office.

“Because we try to solve so many of our problems with lawsuits, the office of attorney general has become more important,” said James Tierney, a former Maine attorney general who and teaches about the position at Harvard.

A minimum of six sitting attorneys general are seeking gubernatorial positions this election cycle.

Ten current state governors previously held attorney general roles before ascending to their current positions, including three who won election in 2024.

During Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign, three potential vice presidential candidates under consideration — Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — had each served as attorney general before becoming governor. Harris herself previously held California’s top legal position.

Among Republicans, President Donald Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, previously served in that capacity for Florida.

Adam Piper, executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association, explained that the office’s political advancement opportunities attract increasing donor interest.

“The AGs used to be the underdogs in the races” for top-of-the-ballot offices, he said. “Now, they’re the favorite in them.”

Priority battlegrounds for party organizations include swing states where Democrats prevailed in 2022: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin. Democratic strategists believe they have opportunities to capture seats in traditionally Republican territories like Georgia, Kansas and Ohio. Republicans are focusing on potential victories in Minnesota and New York.

In Texas, U.S. Representative Chip Roy — among numerous current and former congressional members from both parties pursuing attorney general positions recently — faces state Senator Mayes Middleton in a May 26 Republican runoff.

Current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is competing in a GOP Senate primary runoff against incumbent John Cornyn, also a former attorney general. Paxton gained national attention following his acquittal on corruption charges during an impeachment proceeding and for his aggressive investigations into gender-affirming medical care for minors and abortion cases extending beyond state boundaries.

Both Roy and Middleton have committed to preventing what they term the “Islamification” of Texas. During a recent debate, Middleton stated that as attorney general, he would investigate financier and liberal contributor George Soros, who features in various conservative conspiracy theories, “for the crimes I believe he’s committed.”

Roy outlined a primary advantage of transitioning from Congress to state office. “I’ll be one of one instead of one of 435 (members of the U.S. House) fighting for you,” he said.

The Republican nominee will compete against the Democratic runoff winner between state Senator Nathan Johnson and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski. Democratic statewide victories in Texas remain unlikely.

Earlier this month, 24 Democratic officials — including 22 attorneys general and two governors from states with Republican attorneys general — filed suit against the Trump administration regarding the president’s tariff implementation efforts after the Supreme Court invalidated an earlier version of the trade penalties.

Following Trump’s return to office, Democratic officials have extensive litigation experience. According to the Progressive State Leaders Committee, affiliated with the Democratic Attorneys General Association, they have initiated over 80 lawsuits against the administration with favorable outcomes in most cases.

Sean Rankin, the association’s president, described his organization’s members as “the only lever to hold Trump accountable” given Republican control of Congress.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who secured her position in 2022 by merely 280 votes, stated during an interview that legal challenges against federal policies — her office has participated in 38 — have preserved $1.5 billion for Arizona, maintaining funding for AmeriCorps, Head Start, and university programs.

“If you don’t have an attorney general who is willing to stand up to the federal government,” she said, “your state is going to get hurt.”

Mayes became the first attorney general to pursue criminal charges against Kalshi, the prediction market company, alleging illegal gambling operations.

Rodney Glassman, a Republican challenger preparing to face Mayes in November, has centered his campaign around ending Mayes’s legal challenges to federal policies. He characterized these filings as “clickbait” driven by partisan motivations during an interview.

“She has reorganized the office to go after Republicans,” Glassman said.

His fundraising strategy involves requesting $1 donations from supporters for each lawsuit Mayes has joined against the administration.

Glassman, competing against state Senate President Warren Peterson in the June 22 primary, pledged to halt criminal prosecutions Mayes has initiated against Trump associates including former chief of staff Mark Meadows and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for attempting to reverse the president’s 2020 election defeat in Arizona.

A Republican victory could advance Trump’s efforts to promote unfounded voter fraud claims in Arizona. Peterson, whose campaign declined interview requests, recently provided election documentation to federal investigators.