Elon Musk’s lawyer John Bash, a Republican candidate to succeed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, withdrew from the race Wednesday citing a family member’s health.
“On Friday, our family had a health scare that threw into sharp focus how I should prioritize my time right now, and that is not running for office,” Bash of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP said in a statement.
He added: “I still believe I have the right experience and judgment for the job. But the timing isn’t right for our young family.”
His departure comes just three weeks after he entered the race vowing to take on liberal “activist judges and nationwide injunctions.”
Bash was thought to be a strong candidate given his Big Law pedigree, his representation of celebrities such as Musk and actor Alec Baldwin, and his ties to the highest levels of the Republican party after serving as US Attorney for the Western District of Texas during President Donald Trump’s first term.
His about face leaves only one declared candidate in the March 2026 Republican primary, Texas Sen. Mayes Middleton (R), who has committed to spending $10 million of his own money.
Others are likely to jump in for the chance to lead one of the largest and most influential state attorney general’s offices in the country.
The position is opening for the first time since 2014 as Paxton steps down to wage a Congressional primary challenge to US Sen. John Cornyn (R).
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