Will Chip Roy’s fighter mentality be his political demise?

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) will face the political fight of his career in the Texas attorney general primary runoff, but his rabble-rouser tendencies in Washington could hamper his chances to eke out a victory.

Roy will face Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-TX) in the May 26 runoff to be the Republican nominee that will most likely succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is in his own heated runoff, after neither candidate secured an endorsement from President Donald Trump. 

“Republican primary voters don’t punish fighters—they reward them. Chip Roy’s brand as a disruptor probably helps him more than it hurts,” Republican strategist Dennis Lennox told the Washington Examiner. 

“But runoffs are about who shows up, and it’s notoriously difficult for a second-place finisher to make up that kind of ground, particularly against a self-funding opponent who took first place by 7.5 points,” Lennox continued.

Middleton received 39.1% of the votes in the March