Paxton attorney Tony Buzbee to run for Houston City Council

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Tony Buzbee, the high-profile lead lawyer defending impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed to run for Houston City Council on Monday.

With hours until the filing deadline, Buzbee livestreamed himself filing to run for District G, currently held by Mary Nan Huffman. The office is nonpartisan, though the district is conservative and covers the affluent neighborhoods of West Houston.

“I’m not sure who all the opponents are, but we’re gonna work very hard to do the very best we can,” Buzbee said on the stream.

Huffman has already filed to run for reelection, according to the city. Her campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Buzbee was named Paxton’s lead counsel in early June. That came days after the House voted to impeach Paxton, alleging a yearslong pattern of misconduct and lawbreaking centered on his relationship with Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor and Paxton campaign donor. Paxton was immediately suspended from office.

The Senate is scheduled to hold a Sept. 5 trial on whether to permanently remove Paxton from office.

Buzbee is no stranger to Houston politics. He ran for mayor in 2019, challenging incumbent Sylvester Turner while self-funding his campaign with over $10 million. Buzbee forced Turner to a runoff, though Turner then defeated Buzbee by a comfortable margin.

Huffman, who won the seat in a January 2022 special election, is an intriguing target for Buzbee. She has been a client of Allen Blakemore, the chief political consultant for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the presiding officer of the impeachment trial.

Buzbee had previously teased running again for mayor, which is an open seat now because Turner is term-limited. But that race is already crowded, with two prominent Democrats leading the pack: state Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

The full program is now LIVE for the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 21-23 in Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations coming to TribFest. Panel topics include the biggest 2024 races and what’s ahead, how big cities in Texas and around the country are changing, the integrity of upcoming elections and so much more. See the full program.