Josh Malone funded a super PAC that spent over $400,000 working to defeat the Plano congressman, who got forced into a primary runoff and then admitted to an affair and ended his campaign.

In the Texas House, the biggest intraparty attack on Republican leadership came from the Defend Texas Liberty PAC, led by former state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford. Backed by hard-right donors like Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, West Texas oil tycoons, the group spent at least $5.2 million from January onward.

U.S. Rep. Van Taylor of Texas is ending his reelection campaign and has admitted having an affair following reports that he had been in a relationship with the widow of an American-born recruiter for the Islamic State group.

Taylor made the stunning announcement hours after he finished his five-way primary with 49% of the vote. Former Collin County Judge Keith Self, who finished second, is now likely to become the next congressman for the 3rd District.

The 2022 midterm election season opens Tuesday in Texas.

Credit: United States CongressThe Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is adding three more districts to its Texas target list, expanding an already ambitious battlefield in the state. The DCCC is now targeting 10 districts across Texas, or nearly half the GOP-held seats in the state's congressional delegation. "That consistent message and our 16-month long investment in Texas have put fast-changing districts like these ones in play and Democratic candidates in strong position to deliver in November." Taylor, Williams and Wright all won their races in 2018 by margins ranging from 8 to 10 percentage points. The National Republican Congressional Committee has argued that the Democratic candidates are too liberal for Texas and that the GOP is the party on offense with strong challengers against Allred and Fletcher.