In 2014, and following a two-year investigation, the Texas Ethics Commission fined Sullivan $10,000 for failing to register as a lobbyist.

If Tuesday’s election needed yet another element of uncertainty, the end of a straight-ticket voting option in Texas has certainly provided it. And in the 2016 general election, straight-ticket voting accounted for almost 64% of total votes cast in the state’s 10 largest counties. In 2017, the Legislature voted to eliminate the straight-ticket voting option starting in 2020. The change comes at a time when the Legislature, specifically the Texas House, could see considerable change in its partisan makeup. “That’s my fear.”With straight-ticket voting no longer an option, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen.

A Midland oilman has spent millions over the last decade financing groups focused on moving the Texas Legislature in a more conservative direction. While critics have decried his hardball tactics, Tim Dunn isn't backing down.