Who Is Nathan Johnson? Texas Attorney General-Elect, Dragon Ball Z Composer and His Abortion-Law Promise

Nathan Johnson, a Democratic state senator from Dallas, won the November 3, 2026 race for Texas attorney general. He defeated Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton, and The Texas Tribune describes him as the first Democrat elected to the office since 1994. He succeeds Ken Paxton, who held the office for more than a decade and ran for U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee.

Two things are driving searches. The first is a promise Johnson made on November 4: his office, he says, will stop suing doctors in other states who mail abortion pills to Texas patients. The second is a biographical detail that surprises many readers. Johnson composed music for the English-language version of the anime series Dragon Ball Z, and searches for “Nathan Johnson Dragon Ball Z” are trending next to searches about the election.

His election does not repeal any Texas abortion law and does not stop private lawsuits already filed under state law. It does change what the state’s top litigator chooses to bring, defend or drop. This article separates those two things.

Quick Facts: Nathan Johnson and the Texas Attorney General Election

Question	Answer
Who is Nathan Johnson?	Texas state senator (District 16, Dallas), attorney and attorney general-elect
Party	Democrat
Election date	November 3, 2026
Johnson’s posted votes	5,133,629
Mayes Middleton (Republican)	4,502,442
Tom Oxford (Libertarian)	165,550
Source of totals	Texas Secretary of State posted returns; results are unofficial until canvassed
Predecessor	Ken Paxton
Takes office	January 2027
Abortion-pill promise	His office will not sue out-of-state doctors who mail abortion pills to Texas
Can he repeal abortion laws?	No. Only the Legislature can amend or repeal statutes
Can he stop private HB 7 and SB 8 lawsuits?	No. Those are brought by private plaintiffs
Can he drop lawsuits Paxton’s office filed?	Generally yes, within court rules and any orders already entered
Dragon Ball Z link	His official Texas Senate biography credits him with composing dozens of scores

Did Nathan Johnson Win the Texas Attorney General Race Against Mayes Middleton?

Yes. The Texas Secretary of State’s posted returns list Johnson with 5,133,629 votes to Middleton’s 4,502,442, with Libertarian Tom Oxford at 165,550. That works out to roughly 52.4% for Johnson, 45.9% for Middleton and 1.7% for Oxford. Vote totals reported by different trackers can differ slightly during the canvass, so this article uses the Secretary of State figures throughout.

Middleton, a Galveston-area state senator, ran with strong support from Paxton’s political circle and self-funded much of his campaign. Johnson won the Democratic nomination in a May 2026 runoff against former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski.

Johnson is attorney general-elect, not the sitting attorney general. Paxton remains in office until the new term begins in January 2027, so Johnson cannot yet dismiss, settle or change any case.

Why Is Nathan Johnson Trending? Texas Attorney General Race, Abortion Promise and Dragon Ball Z

Search interest combines three questions. Who won the attorney general race? Will Texas stop suing out-of-state abortion providers? And is the Texas politician the same Nathan Johnson who scored Dragon Ball Z? The answer to the last one is yes: there is one person, not two.

Who Is Nathan Johnson? Career, Texas Senate Record and Background

Johnson is a Dallas litigator and mediator, and has been listed as working at the Dallas office of Thompson Coburn LLP. According to his official Texas Senate biography, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and a law degree from the University of Texas.

He was first elected to Texas Senate District 16 in 2018, flipping a seat held by Republican Don Huffines, and has served since January 2019. His legislative work has covered water, the electrical grid, health care, criminal justice and government transparency, and his campaign materials describe a focus on consumer protection and rebuilding the office after Paxton’s tenure. Johnson has said he decided to run after serving as a senator in Paxton’s 2023 impeachment trial. Paxton was acquitted by the Senate in that trial.

Is Nathan Johnson the Dragon Ball Z Composer?

Yes. His official Texas Senate biography says he composed dozens of musical scores for Dragon Ball Z. Entertainment Weekly reported that Johnson said in a campaign video that he scored 67 episodes and five films. The work was tied to the English-language version of the series. It has no bearing on the powers of the attorney general’s office.

What Did Nathan Johnson Promise About Out-of-State Abortion-Pill Doctors?

In a November 4 interview with The Texas Tribune, Johnson said he will not continue Paxton’s practice of suing doctors in other states who mail abortion medication to Texas patients. He acknowledged that he is not a legislator and cannot change the abortion statutes themselves. He described the lawsuits as using Texas law to harass providers in other states and argued that applying Texas law to conduct outside Texas is legally unsound. He also said he plans to review the lawsuits and investigations inherited from Paxton’s tenure.

What Do Supporters of Texas’s Abortion Laws Say?

Paxton and other supporters argue that Texas law bans most abortions and prohibits mailing or delivering abortion drugs into the state, that doctors who ship pills to Texans are violating state law and practicing medicine without a Texas license, and that enforcement protects unborn children and mothers. When Paxton sued the Aid Access founder and a California doctor in February 2026, he said his office would relentlessly enforce Texas’s pro-life laws. Abortion-rights groups and the providers’ lawyers counter that the providers act lawfully in their home states, that shield laws protect them, and that the lawsuits chill access to care. Both views are positions in a live legal and political dispute, and courts have not resolved every question.

What Does the Texas Attorney General Control? Article IV, Section 22 and Government Code Chapter 402

The attorney general is a separately elected constitutional officer under Article IV of the Texas Constitution. Section 22 gives the office duties that include representing the state in the Texas Supreme Court and giving legal advice to state officers as the law requires. Chapter 402 of the Texas Government Code sets out the office’s statutory duties, including representing the state and its agencies in court and issuing formal legal opinions.

The office also enforces many civil statutes. These include the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (Business & Commerce Code Chapter 17), which covers consumer fraud and price gouging, the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act (Business & Commerce Code Chapter 15) and child-support enforcement under the Family Code and Government Code. Johnson has named consumer protection, antitrust, child support and government transparency as priorities, and has said he would challenge the Trump administration when he believes federal action oversteps Texas’s rights.

What Nathan Johnson Can Change After Taking Office

• Set the office’s civil litigation priorities and decide which new cases to file.
• Drop, settle or change the legal position in cases the state itself filed, subject to court rules, any entered judgments and statutory duties.
• Decline to bring new abortion-pill enforcement suits against out-of-state providers.
• Challenge federal actions when Texas has a legally sufficient claim.
• Redirect resources toward consumer protection, antitrust and public-integrity work.

What Nathan Johnson Cannot Change by Himself

• Repeal or amend a statute. Only the Legislature can.
• Cancel a private lawsuit brought by someone else.
• Order a court to dismiss a case or erase a final judgment by announcement.
• Control the Texas Medical Board, local prosecutors or other independent agencies.
• Stop attorneys general in other states, such as Louisiana, from pursuing their own cases.

Which Texas Abortion Laws Stay in Effect After Johnson Takes Office?

Texas has several overlapping laws. None is repealed by the election.

Texas Human Life Protection Act (Health and Safety Code Chapter 170A)

Chapter 170A, enacted through House Bill 1280, is Texas’s general abortion prohibition, with a medical exception for life-threatening conditions. Senate Bill 31, the Life of the Mother Act, took effect June 20, 2025 and clarified the medical exception. Chapter 170A carries criminal and civil penalties. Prosecutions fall to local and state prosecutors and are not controlled by the attorney general alone.

Abortion-Pill Mailing Restriction (Health and Safety Code §§ 171.063 and 171.064)

Section 171.063 restricts providing abortion-inducing drugs by courier, delivery or mail. Section 171.064 provides for enforcement through the Texas Medical Board. Johnson’s promise changes what his office intends to sue over. It does not change what the statute says.

Senate Bill 8, the Texas Heartbeat Act (Health and Safety Code §§ 171.207–171.208)

SB 8 is enforced exclusively through private civil actions. A qualifying plaintiff can sue those who perform or induce a prohibited abortion or knowingly aid or abet one, with statutory damages of at least $10,000 per abortion plus injunctive relief. An attorney general’s choices do not control an SB 8 case filed by a private person.

House Bill 7 (Health and Safety Code Chapter 171A)

HB 7 was passed in the Legislature’s 2025 special session and took effect December 4, 2025. It prohibits manufacturing, mailing, delivering, prescribing or providing abortion-inducing drugs to or from a person or place in Texas, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies and similar circumstances. It does not authorize suits against the pregnant woman who takes the drugs.

HB 7 works in two ways, and the difference is the key to this story:

1. Private suits. Under the statute, qualifying private plaintiffs can sue for injunctive relief and statutory damages of at least $100,000 per violation, plus costs and fees, with a six-year limitations period. The law bars class actions and limits state and local officials from controlling or intervening in these private cases, apart from filing amicus briefs.
2. State suits. The attorney general also has independent civil enforcement authority, and Paxton’s office has cited HB 7 in suits it filed itself, including a February 2026 suit against Aid Access, its founder Rebecca Gomperts and California physician Remy Coeytaux.

A Johnson-led office can end the second category. It cannot end the first.

Which Abortion-Pill Lawsuits Could Johnson End, and Which Would Continue?

State-Filed Cases Johnson Could Drop or Change

Paxton’s office has filed a series of suits against out-of-state providers. They include the 2024 case against New York physician Margaret Daley Carpenter, a suit against a Delaware nurse practitioner who runs a telehealth practice, and the February 2026 suit against Aid Access, Gomperts and Coeytaux. Texas also sued a Texas midwife in a separate case. These are cases the state brought, so a new attorney general has discretion over whether to continue them, subject to the courts, any final judgments and ethics rules. How he exercises that discretion has not yet been announced case by case.

Private Cases Johnson Cannot Control

Private HB 7 suits are brought by individuals. The earliest reported example was a federal wrongful-death and HB 7 suit by Galveston County resident Jerry Rodriguez against California physician Remy Coeytaux, represented by attorney Jonathan Mitchell, who is described as the architect of HB 7. The Texas Tribune reported on October 13, 2026 that at least three HB 7 lawsuits had been filed. Reported cases include a suit against Coeytaux, Davis v. Cooprider, and a Harris County suit by Maria Puerto against four anti-abortion activists who allegedly ordered abortion medication while in Texas. These are allegations in complaints, not findings. In the Harris County case, defendants have disputed the claims, and the court must decide whether HB 7 covers the alleged conduct.

Johnson cannot dismiss any of these private cases. Their outcomes will depend on courts.

What Happened in State of Texas v. Margaret Daley Carpenter, the New York Doctor Case?

In December 2024, Paxton’s office sued Dr. Margaret Daley Carpenter of New York for allegedly prescribing abortion pills to a Dallas-area patient. A Texas court entered a default judgment in February 2025, including an injunction and a $100,000 civil penalty, after Carpenter did not respond. When Texas tried to enforce the judgment in New York, a New York court declined, relying on New York’s shield law, and New York Attorney General Letitia James invoked the shield law. Louisiana separately pursued Carpenter and Coeytaux, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom declined a Louisiana extradition request for Coeytaux.

These disputes show that the conflict between Texas law and other states’ shield laws does not end if Texas stops suing. Other states’ officials and private plaintiffs can still bring cases.

Can Texas Enforce Its Abortion Laws Against Doctors in Other States?

That is an open constitutional question that courts are testing, not a settled one. Issues include:

• Personal jurisdiction. The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment limits a state’s power over out-of-state defendants.
• Full Faith and Credit. Article IV, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution addresses recognition of sister-state judgments. States with shield laws argue it does not require enforcing another state’s penal judgments.
• Extraterritorial regulation. Federal constitutional limits restrict a state from regulating conduct that occurs wholly outside its borders.
• Federal preemption. Federal law governing FDA-approved drugs may conflict with state restrictions. For background on the federal dispute, see Mifepristone Supreme Court Ruling Explained, What the Supreme Court Just Decided and What Happens Next.

HB 7 was written to counter shield laws, including provisions aimed at blocking providers from countersuing under California’s shield law. Whether those provisions survive constitutional challenge remains to be decided.

Could Nathan Johnson Sue the Trump Administration?

Johnson has said he would sue the Trump administration when he believes federal officials are overstepping their authority in Texas, and has said he would join Democratic attorneys general in suing over alleged federal overreach. Under Paxton, the office brought more than 100 suits against the Biden administration, according to local reporting, and became a major participant in national litigation against federal policy. A Democratic attorney general could reverse that direction. The attorney general needs a valid legal claim and standing in each case, and other Republican attorneys general and private litigants will keep filing their own cases.

For an example of the office’s recent work, see Ken Paxton’s Office Sues Harris County Over Allegedly Racially Targeted Voter Ads, What the Lawsuit Claims and What the October 30 Agreement Means. For how another Texas statewide office could affect the same laws, see Gina Hinojosa Wins Can She Reverse Abbott’s Abortion Immigration Laws?.

What Happens Next After Nathan Johnson’s Election?

Watch for these developments:

1. The exact swearing-in date in January 2027.
2. Whether Johnson’s office formally withdraws, settles or changes position in Paxton-era abortion-pill suits.
3. Whether the Legislature, which Republicans control, amends or expands the abortion laws in 2027.
4. How courts rule in the private HB 7 cases and on shield-law conflicts.
5. Whether Texas files or joins suits against the federal government.

The biggest legal developments will likely come from courts and the Legislature, not from the attorney general’s announcements.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nathan Johnson and the Texas Attorney General Race

Did Nathan Johnson win the Texas attorney general election?

Yes. The Texas Secretary of State’s posted returns list Johnson at 5,133,629 votes to Mayes Middleton’s 4,502,442.

When does Nathan Johnson become Texas attorney general?

He is expected to take office in January 2027. Until then Ken Paxton remains attorney general.

Is Nathan Johnson the Dragon Ball Z composer?

Yes. His official Texas Senate biography credits him with dozens of Dragon Ball Z scores.

Will Nathan Johnson end the Texas abortion ban?

No. The attorney general cannot repeal a statute. Chapter 170A and related restrictions remain in effect unless the Legislature or a court changes them.

Will Texas stop suing out-of-state abortion-pill doctors?

Johnson says his office will stop. That is a litigation-policy change, and it applies to cases the attorney general brings, not to private plaintiffs.

Can Nathan Johnson stop private HB 7 lawsuits?

No. HB 7 creates private enforcement and limits state officials from controlling or intervening in those cases.

Can Nathan Johnson drop Ken Paxton’s abortion-pill lawsuits?

He has discretion over cases the state filed, subject to court rules and any judgments already entered. He has said he will review them.

Can private citizens still sue under Texas SB 8?

Yes. SB 8’s private enforcement system stays in the statute.

Can Texas still enforce its law against doctors in other states?

That depends on courts. Private HB 7 plaintiffs can file, but personal jurisdiction, full faith and credit and shield-law questions are unresolved.

Can the governor order the attorney general to enforce abortion laws?

No. The governor and attorney general are separately elected constitutional officers, and the attorney general does not report to the governor on litigation choices.

Can Johnson erase the Carpenter judgment?

Not by announcement. What he does depends on the case’s procedural status and any court orders. The New York enforcement refusal is separate from the Texas judgment itself.

Can Nathan Johnson sue the Trump administration?

Yes, if Texas has a legally sufficient claim. Johnson has said he would.

Bottom Line: What Nathan Johnson’s Election Changes and What It Doesn’t

Johnson’s win ends decades of Republican control of the Texas attorney general’s office, and he has promised to stop using Texas abortion laws to sue out-of-state doctors. His authority is real but limited. He can redirect the state’s own litigation. He cannot repeal Chapter 170A, SB 8 or HB 7, and he cannot end private lawsuits filed under them. Supporters of the laws and their critics will both be watching which Paxton-era cases his office drops, and what the courts do with the rest.

Sources and Legal Authorities

1. The Texas Tribune, In major upset, Nathan Johnson takes Texas attorney general’s office for Democrats, November 3, 2026.
2. The Texas Tribune, Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson says he won’t sue out-of-state doctors who mail abortion pills to Texas, November 4, 2026.
3. Texas Secretary of State, 2026 General Election returns, Attorney General race.
4. Texas State Senate: Senator Nathan Johnson, District 16.
5. Texas Tribune and States Newsroom reporting on HB 7 lawsuits, February and October 2026; Texas Legislative Budget Board fiscal note for the 89th Legislature, Second Called Session, HB 7/SB 7.
6. Texas Constitution, Article IV, §§ 2 and 22; Texas Government Code Chapter 402.
7. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 170A, §§ 171.063–171.064, §§ 171.207–171.208 and Chapter 171A; Texas Senate Bill 31 (2025).
8. Texas Business & Commerce Code Chapters 15 and 17.
9. State of Texas v. Margaret Daley Carpenter, Texas state court proceedings, 2024–2025, and related New York enforcement proceedings.

Disclaimer: AllAboutLawyer.com is an independent legal information website, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice. Allegations in lawsuits are not findings, and how these statutes apply may depend on future court rulings.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the Texas Secretary of State’s posted election returns, The Texas Tribune and other published reporting, the Texas Senate biography and the cited Texas statutes, as of November 5, 2026. Last Updated: November 5, 2026.