Aaron Reitz, former Texas AG candidate, named federal attorney for Southern Texas

By
FOX Local
Published July 10, 2026 2:55 PM CDT
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The Brief

    • Aaron Reitz, who ran for Texas attorney general earlier this year, has been named the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.
    • Reitz served as a deputy to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Tex Cruz.
    • Reitz came in fourth during the Republican primary this year despite having Paxton’s endorsement.

HOUSTON - Aaron Reitz, a former candidate for Texas attorney general, was sworn in Thursday as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

What we know:

Reitz will now oversee federal prosecutions across 43 Texas counties and include cities such as Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi and Brownsville. According to the Department of Justice, this district is one of the largest and busiest in the country.

Reitz ran for Texas attorney general earlier this year, but came in fourth place despite having the endorsement of the current office holder, Ken Paxton.

Reitz has worn many legal hats throughout his career, including positions at DOJ. He also served as a deputy to Paxton and as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. (DOJ / FOX Local)

What they're saying:

"I’m honored to serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer and lawyer for this mission-critical district," Reitz said in a DOJ statement on his appointment. "Our office will relentlessly combat violent crime, illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, corruption, and fraud. We will faithfully uphold the rule of law and protect the public. Things are about to get very bad for criminals in the Southern District of Texas." 

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Controversy:

During his AG run, Reitz said he would want to see Democratic State Rep. Gene Wu "de-naturalized" over his views on racial divides in the U.S. 

Reitz stirred controversy in 2021 when he railed against Olympian Simone Biles when she withdrew from competition. He later apologized for the remarks.  

The Source: Information in this story came from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and previous FOX Local reporting.

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