Aaron Reitz and Chip Roy, positioning themselves as Paxton’s ideological heirs, have served as top aides for both the attorney general and Cruz.

Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, announced Monday that he is "instructing" independent public school districts statewide to follow a state law that requires every classroom to display the Ten Commandments, starting Sept. 1—setting up what is likely to be a controversial start to the new academic year.