AUSTIN, Texas – We are in the middle of early voting for the runoff elections, and the battle for the Republican nomination for attorney general is heating up.
What they’re saying:
Congressman Chip Roy spent Wednesday morning with members of the Austin Police Association. He came to show support for those wearing the badge and to voice his support for legislative proposals that are focused on liberal district attorneys.
“This is not the same as federalism. Like some people talk about it and say, well, you know, you don’t like the federal government reaching into Texas. Yeah, true. Do I want Austin micromanaging the rest of the state? I do not. But do I think the state has the legal ability? And frankly, I think it’s a moral duty. To make sure that the entire state of Texas is safe for its people? Yes, I do,” said Roy.
Congressman Roy is in a runoff for the GOP Attorney General nomination with state senator Mayes Middleton. The Galveston Republican has also been busy making campaign stops and rallying his supporters.
“You got to go earn this. You got go fight for it. And I am never retreating from Washington DC because I’m never going to Washington DC. I have always known the fight is here. And the most important thing in this race and as attorney general, the number one thing is defeating the left,” said Middleton.
Both candidates are considered staunch conservatives, but neither was included in President Trump’s Tuesday endorsement of current AG Ken Paxton.
President Trump Wednesday morning defended his endorsement of Ken Paxton for the Texas GOP Senate nomination. He made the pick despite recent polls that show Paxton is trailing Democratic nominee James Talarico.
The Paxton endorsement is an example of how the GOP Senate runoff between Paxton and incumbent John Cornyn continues to suck the political air out of all the other runoff races.
FOX 7 asked Roy and Middleton if they were disappointed.
“Well, like I would be honored to have the president’s endorsement, his endorsement in this race here. And look, I’m the pro-Trump candidate,” said Middleton.
Roy also took the presidential pass in stride when asked if he was disappointed no official endorsement had been made in his race.
“We’ve had a lot of great conversations about this race. The president is an engaged guy across the country, but he’s been focusing predominantly on federal races,” said Roy.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: We are almost a month away from the start of early voting for the May runoff elections. That vote will finalize several big primary races and will kick off the push to the November general election.
Middleton’s campaign has accused Roy of not being a true Trump supporter, citing what the Congressman did and didn’t after Trump’s first-term House Impeachment vote. Roy responded by saying the President knows he is a great ally.
“I’ve delivered on the Big, Beautiful Bill. I’m leading his favorite piece of legislation in his words, the Save America Act. I’m the author of that,” said Roy.
“And we’re delivering a message that’s resonating that you ought to have a real lawyer as your attorney general. Somebody who’s been in court, prosecuted bad guys. Been, the first assistant attorney general run complex litigation not effectively manage your family royalties, never having been in court,” said Roy.
Middleton’s message is also how he is a different kind of conservative than Roy.
“And look, every vote’s going to count. We know turnout is lower in a runoff than it is in the March 3 primary. But the same things that I’m doing. They got me in first place on March 3. I’m going now. And I will make sure that I protect and defend our great state. And I say this as well, a lazy campaigner turns into a lazy elected official.”
The other side:
Texas Democrats are also having a contentious runoff for their AG nomination.
Joe Jaworski, the former mayor of Galveston, and state Senator Nathan Johnson, who is from the DFW Metroplex, have taken a few political and personal shots at each other.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski
As three teens face charges in a string of weekend shootings and robberies, mental health is becoming part of the broader conversation in Austin. One suspect’s mother told KXAN her 15-year-old son had struggled with substance abuse and suicidal thoughts — not as an excuse, she said, but as context for how mental health can affect a young person’s decisions. READ MORE: https://www.kxan.com/news/simplehealth/travis-county-launches-childrens-mental-health-plan-as-teen-crime-case-raises-concerns/
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe thunderstorms and flooding are possible in Central Texas Tuesday evening into early Wednesday. Here’s the latest forecast from the First Warning Weather team.
Here are the main headlines:
8:54 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for southern Blanco, Hays, Travis and southwestern Williamson counties until 10 p.m. Winds gusts up to 70 mph and quarter-size hail are possible with this storm.
8:49 p.m.: Wind gusts are strengthening in Williamson County. The National Weather Service now says wind gusts of 70 mph are possible, which could cause “considerable tree damage.” A Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect until 9:15 p.m.
8:51 p.m.: KXAN’s Grace Reader is monitoring the storms and sent in this video heading towards Marble Falls.
8:35 p.m.: The National Weather Service said the severe thunderstorm in central Williamson County is now capable to producing ping pong ball-sized hail. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect until 9:15 p.m.
8:20 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Blanco, Burnet, northeastern Gillespie, northwestern Hays, southeastern Llano, northwestern Travis and southwestern Williamson counties until 9:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
8:18 p.m.: Texas Game Wardens have been activated and are prepared to provide support in areas affected by the potential severe weather.
8:11 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for central Williamson County until 9:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
8:10 p.m.: KXAN’s Jordan Belt is monitoring the storms and sent in this video from Burnet.
7:51 p.m.: KXAN’s Grace Reader is monitoring the storms and sent in this video from just north of Burnet.
7:45 p.m.: A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for northern Burnet and northern Llano counties until midnight.
7:43 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for central Burnet County until 8:30 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
7:40 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for northwestern Williamson County until 8:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
7:28 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for western Burnet county and Llano County until 8:30 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible with this storm.
7:16 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Northeastern Burnet County until 8:15 p.m. Ping pong ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible with this storm.
7:06 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Southeastern Lampasas County until 8:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
6:56 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for northern Williamson County until 7:30 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and half dollar-sized hail are possible with this storm.
6:55 p.m.: KXAN’s Grace Reader is monitoring the storms and sent in this video from just south of Lampasas.
6:45 p.m.: KXAN’s Grace Reader is monitoring the storms and sent in these photos from Marble Falls.


6:33 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Burnet County, northern Llano County and northwestern Williamson County until 7:30 p.m. Ping pong ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible with this storm.
6:27 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for northeastern Williamson County until 7:15 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
6:12 p.m.: The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been extended to include Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Hays, Lampasas, Lee, Milam, Travis and Williamson counties until 1 a.m.
6:11 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for northwestern Mason County until 7:15 p.m. Golf ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible with this storm.
5:54 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for western Burnet and central Llano counties until 6:45 p.m. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail are possible with this storm.
3:56 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Gillespie, Llano, Mason and San Saba counties. It will be in effect until 11 p.m.
Don’t Miss
Texas police have released the mugshot of one of the three juveniles arrested over the weekend in connection with 12 separate shooting incidents across Austin that injured four people, as well as a timeline of the alleged 28-hour rampage.
Cristian Fajardo Mondragon, 17, was taken into custody Sunday after allegedly partaking in a citywide shooting spree that left four people injured, struck two fire stations and triggered a shelter-in-place order in South Austin, the Austin Police Department said in a statement.
Mondragon was arrested alongside two additional suspects, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old, police said. Their names have not been released due to a statewide law regarding what information can be made public involving juvenile suspects.
Officers received a report of a stolen firearm from a local business. Surveillance footage subsequently revealed the vehicle driven by the suspects had also recently been stolen, according to authorities.
Less than five hours later, authorities confirmed the first alleged shooting at a trailer residence. However, no injuries were reported.
Officers responded to another shooting at the Whisper Hollow apartment complex, in which multiple vehicles and an occupied apartment were struck by gunfire. Witness descriptions and surveillance footage of the suspects led authorities to believe the two shootings were connected.
Approximately two hours later, a third shooting was reported after witnesses observed a suspect wearing a black hoodie exiting a black sedan at another apartment complex and firing through the door of a third-floor unit, police said.
Authorities said that a group of suspects matching previous surveillance footage of the alleged shootings stole a Hyundai Elantra from a Motel 6 parking lot, with another shooting being reported just 90 minutes later.
Authorities said a suspect fired a gun into an Austin Fire Department station while firefighters were inside. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
Just six minutes later, authorities received a report that suspects matching the same description had fired shots from their vehicle and struck the windshield of an occupied car. One victim inside the vehicle was injured by broken glass, according to police.
Police said the suspects allegedly stole another vehicle, with authorities discovering a previous vehicle containing bullet damage abandoned near 1800 E. Stassney Lane hours later.
Authorities received a report regarding a victim who had been shot in the back and stomach near 7409 Janes Ranch Road by a suspect matching previous witness descriptions surrounding the alleged shootings.
Shortly after, officers recovered several other stolen vehicles believed to be connected to the alleged shooting spree.
A second incident involving shots being fired into another Austin Fire Department station was reported to authorities, with the suspects allegedly stealing yet another vehicle — a white Kia Optima — three hours later.
Authorities said two victims were shot in a drive-by shooting involving a white Kia Optima, with two additional shootings being reported within 20 minutes.
Authorities said surveillance footage showed a white Kia sedan approaching a victim before the individual fell to the ground with an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was subsequently transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
About one hour later, officers with the Manor Police Department spotted the Kia sedan believed to be connected to the alleged shootings, prompting a pursuit in which the three suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.
One suspect was immediately detained, with authorities taking the other two individuals into custody separately after a brief search.
The incidents led to the injuries of four people and five vehicles being stolen, police said.
“At this time, investigators believe the incidents were a mix of random and targeted shootings,” APD said in a statement. “Some victims were known to the suspects, while other incidents appeared to occur without any known connection.”
Davis went on to describe the investigation as “complex” because of the sheer number of crime scenes, stolen vehicles and random shootings throughout the city.
Formal charges against the three suspects remain under review, but are expected to include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault/motor vehicle, deadly conduct, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest, theft of a firearm and other related offenses, APD said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Austin Police Department for comment.
Teacher’s assistant at San Diego mosque recalls students’ bravery as gunmen banged on doors
Portion of South 35th Street to close, impacting northbound travel
Flash flood warning issued as heavy rain falls across Atlanta
Minneapolis police say motor vehicle thefts up 24% compared to this time last year
Indianapolis VA Medical Center receives federal funding for facility upgrades
As Pittsburgh Public Schools closure vote nears, board members aim for more transparency
New Augusta commissioner and ‘Yes’ to tax questions were big winners in the primary
Go, Go Marty’s! (all the way to Washington, DC)