Jaworski promises to replace ‘voter suppression’ with enhancement division in campaign for attorney general

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski said Texas needs an attorney general focused on protecting consumers and expanding voting access rather than serving as what he called “a consigliere for the Republican reelection machine.”

Jaworski, making his second bid for the Democratic nomination after losing the 2022 runoff, outlined an agenda centered on election reform and corporate accountability.

The centerpiece of his platform involves creating a “voter enhancement division” to reverse what he described as Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to make voting intimidating for ordinary Texans.

“Ken Paxton has frankly succeeded in making voting a white knuckle affair,” Jaworski said. “People are scared, they’re worried, do I do it wrong? Will I be indicted? Actually, we need to make voting easy again.”

Jaworski cited his son’s experience as an out-of-state college student whose ballot was rejected over signature discrepancies as an example of unnecessary obstacles facing voters.

“Children these days are working on computers rather than practicing penmanship,” he said. “You go to the grocery store, sometimes you have to sign for the credit card, and a dash would suffice, but somehow there are people who are canceling votes because the signature’s not perfect.”

His proposed reforms include enforcing an existing law requiring high school principals to register eligible 18-year-olds and investigating efforts to suppress voting rather than facilitate it.

Drawing on 35 years as a trial attorney and his tenure as Galveston’s mayor, Jaworski positioned himself as an outsider candidate against state Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, in the Democratic primary.

“I’m an attorney by day and a husband, a father, and a Texan 24/7, and so I am not coming from this as a political advancement,” he said, contrasting his background with “longtime office holders.”

Jaworski said the attorney general’s office offers unique opportunities to “affect policy in the courts” and provide sound legal counsel to state government.

Beyond election law, he pledged to refocus the office on consumer protection, targeting what he sees as corporate greed regardless of party lines. He also promised day-one transparency measures to assess damage from the Paxton era.

Since his 2022 loss, Jaworski has maintained visibility through a radio show and newspaper opinion pieces while building what he hopes will be a stronger campaign organization.

The Democratic primary for attorney general will be held March 3, 2026.