Texas Republican state Rep. Larry Taylor has apologized for urging an insurance association to do right by policy holders and not "Jew them down" at a hearing earlier this week.
On Thursday, Taylor spoke at a hearing on the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, encouraging the timely payment of claims to policy holders.
"Don't nitpick, don't try to Jew them down," he said, according to the Quorum Report.
Taylor then quickly tried to right ship, admitting "That's probably a bad term."
In a written statement after the hearing, Taylor said, "At a legislative oversight committee hearing today, I inadvertently used a phrase that many people find offensive. I corrected myself immediately when I realized what I had said. I regret my poor choice of words and sincerely apologize for any harm they may have caused."
The Austin Statesman reports that Taylor is currently favored to win a Texas state senate race in the 2012 election cycle.
Democrats took aim at Taylor shortly after his remark, targeting his rhetoric and aspirations for higher office.
"If Larry were a state employee, he probably would have been fired today," said Democratic state Rep. Lon Burnam, according to the Texas Tribune. "Instead, Larry is asking Texas voters to give him a promotion to the Texas Senate."
