Paul is the first candidate out of the gate to succeed incumbent Mayes Middleton in an open seat running from Galveston to the outskirts of Houston.

The Texas House is considering a bill to abolish May elections, which have the lowest turnout of any election.

The gang welcomes back an old friend, Patrick Svitek, to preview Texas’ biggest political throwdown in years.

Middleton is the second Republican to join what is expected to be a growing field of candidates angling to succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton as the state’s top legal official.

Hours after the announcement, the Flores team said that the new candidate had been hospitalized and is now recovering. There were no details about her condition.

The federal criminal investigation into corruption allegations was the most serious inquiry Paxton faced. Its end nearly clears his slate of numerous legal battles.