Van Taylor is a dedicated family man, successful businessman, and decorated Marine Officer. Elected in 2010 to the Texas House, Van distinguished himself as a conservative leader and was elected to the Texas Senate with overwhelming local support and backing of a strong coalition of conservative activists and community leaders.

As a Marine Officer and paratrooper, Captain Taylor volunteered for duty as a platoon commander with the Marine Corps' C Company, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion. He deployed to Iraq where he fought with 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company. Taylor led the first platoon into Iraq for his brigade and led a mission that rescued 31 wounded Marines during the pitched Battle of An Nasiriyah. For his service in Iraq, the Marine Corps awarded Captain Taylor the Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, and the Navy Commendation Medal with "V" for valor.

Throughout his tenure in the Texas Legislature, Taylor has consistently fought to limit the size and reach of government, rein in spending, lower taxes, protect the Rainy Day Fund, and stop the expansion of Obamacare in Texas. For his commitment to conservative principles, Taylor has earned the "Taxpayer Champion" award from Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, the "Courageous Conservative" award from Texas Conservative Coalition, was named a "Top-Rated Conservative" by the Texas Eagle Forum, selected to the "Honor Roll" by the Young Conservatives of Texas, and received an A rating from the National Rifle Association.

In addition to fighting for conservative solutions, Taylor has also made his mark spearheading legislation to protect our children from online sexual predators, make it easier for our military to vote while serving overseas, verify the citizenship of every voter in the state, close a loophole preventing healthcare fraud and abuse saving local taxpayers millions, and revoke benefits from corrupt politicians. Additionally, Taylor's Truth in Taxation rule, which forces politicians to state clearly in the first line of any bill if there is an attempt to raise taxes or fees, has been cited by Americans for Tax Reform as a successful blueprint for other states to implement and was recently submitted as federal legislation by Senator John Cornyn and Congressman Sam Johnson.

Most importantly, Taylor works for the people. He holds firm the belief that the Declaration of Independence tells us our rights come from God and, we entrust those rights to government that "derives its just powers from the consent of the governed." As such, he maintains a 100% meeting policy with constituents and is very active in the community.

Van and his wife, Anne, married after his return from Iraq and are the proud parents of three young girls. Van and his family reside in Plano near the land his great-grandfather farmed during the Great Depression. In the Texas Senate, Taylor serves the majority of Collin County and a portion of Dallas County. Taylor was named Vice-Chairman of the Nominations Committee and also appointed to serve on the Education, Health and Human Services, and Transportation Committees.

Click here for Senator Van Taylor's 84th Legislative Session Recap