Rep. Pat Fallon drops Texas Senate bid to seek reelection in House

Rep. Pat Fallon’s office confirmed to The Hill he will seek reelection for his House seat in 2024, reversing course after reports surfaced earlier this week that the Texas Republican would launch a bid for the state Senate.

A spokesperson for Fallon confirmed he did previously launch a campaign for the state seat but did not provide further details on why he changed his mind.

On Monday, the Texas Tribune reported Fallon’s brief bid to fill the seat being vacated by Republican state Sen. Drew Springer. The Tribune reported a day later that Fallon told constituents in a tele-town hall that he would instead run for reelection in the House, saying his family was “not on board” with his choice to leave Congress.

“I really am truly looking for my best and highest use for the conservative cause because I do think in my hearts of hearts that’s the best, best, path forward for our country,” Fallon said, according to the outlet.

Fallon, 55, held the seat in the Texas Senate for two years before he was elected to his first term in Congress in 2020. He currently represents Texas’s 4th District.

The lawmaker’s red-leaning district will likely stay in Republican hands in 2024, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report labeling it as a “solid Republican” race with a rating of R+16. He won by a wide margin in 2022 over Democratic challenger Iro Omere, garnering about 66 percent of the vote, according to Ballotpedia.

He currently chairs the Oversight and Accountability subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs and also serves on the House Armed Services Committee and multiple other subcommittees.

Before joining Congress, Fallon founded more than a dozen companies and previously served as a U.S. Air Force officer in Wichita Falls, Texas.