Pastors for Trump founder Jackson Lahmeyer has withdrawn from the Oklahoma 1st Congressional District race. This decision comes after a texting scandal involving romantic messages to a woman who is not his wife.

Background

Lahmeyer, the lead pastor of Sheridan Church in Tulsa, was endorsed by President Donald Trump in May. However, after the scandal broke, Trump announced his support for Lahmeyer’s runoff opponent, state lawmaker Mark Tedford.

Lahmeyer acknowledged the inappropriate behavior but criticized the timing of the story’s publication. He stated that the matter was already dealt with privately between him and his wife through counsel and prayer with God and spiritual advisors.

The withdrawal leaves an open path to the nomination for Tedford as he vies to succeed GOP Rep. Kevin Hern, who is running for Senate.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.