AUSTIN, Texas — Democrat Nathan Johnson secured a landmark victory Tuesday to become the next attorney general of Texas, unseating decades of Republican dominance in the state’s premier legal post while resurfacing an unusual chapter from his creative past: scoring dozens of episodes for the anime classic “Dragon Ball Z.”
Johnson, a Dallas corporate litigator and state senator, defeated Republican nominee Mayes Middleton, an oil and gas heir who aligned his platform closely with President Donald Trump, The Texas Tribune reported. Middleton conceded the contest by phone, according to Johnson’s campaign.
The victory marks the first time a Democrat has won the Texas attorney general’s office since 1994. With 99 percent of polling precincts reporting by Wednesday, Johnson’s win arrived on a night when Democrats also secured majorities in both chambers of the U.S. Congress, according to network projections reported by Variety.
From Anime Soundtracks to Public Office
Before his political career, Johnson spent years working as a composer. He wrote original musical scores for 67 episodes and five feature films in the English-language adaptation of “Dragon Ball Z,” Variety reported.
His credits include movies such as “Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest,” “Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might,” “Broly — Second Coming,” “Fusion Reborn” and “Wrath of the Dragon.”
The opportunity arose by chance when Johnson was hunting for office space for his law practice, KEYE reported. His prospective landlord was Robert Cocanaugher, a co-founder of the anime distributor FUNimation. After Cocanaugher listened to Johnson’s music samples online, producer Barry Watson met with Johnson the following day and hired him to produce a more cinematic, orchestral sound.
Johnson, who had never watched anime prior to the job, later recalled that his toddler son sat on his lap watching explosions as he composed. In an interview with state Sen. Taylor Rehmet, Johnson remarked:
“It gave me a creative outlet and a cultural connection that very few people have had the opportunity to have.”
Changes in media revenue eventually led him away from full-time screen scoring, KEYE reported, paving the way for his return to full-time legal work and politics.
Reshaping the Texas Legal Landscape
Johnson first broke through politically in 2018 when he flipped a Dallas-area state Senate seat held by Republicans for decades. Over four legislative sessions, he authored or sponsored 134 bills enacted into law, his campaign noted.
His rise to attorney general follows the departure of incumbent Ken Paxton, who chose not to seek a fourth term and instead won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate after challenging incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, FOX 4 News reported.
Middleton invested approximately $20 million of personal wealth during a bruising primary battle against U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, but he trimmed spending in the general election, The Texas Tribune reported. While Middleton pledged to harness the office to aid federal border policies and conservative causes, Johnson pitched himself as an administrator eager to restore core agency duties like child support enforcement and consumer protection.
Marquette University political scientist Paul Nolette told The Texas Tribune that Johnson’s victory presents a major setback for the conservative legal movement, which long relied on Texas to lead multi-state challenges against federal rules. Johnson said his team will file suit against the Trump administration if federal authorities overreach, but emphasized a desire to avoid purely partisan courtroom battles and focus primarily on state matters.
