[4] In 2008, incumbent State Representative Joyce Cusack was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, so Taylor ran to succeed her in the 27th District, which stretched from Daytona Beach to DeLand in northern Volusia County.

In the Democratic primary, he faced minister Terry Dilligard, Sr. and investigator Jake C. Ross, and he campaigned on both diversifying state revenue sources and on increasing funding for public education.

Taylor noted that, despite the fact that the Republican-controlled legislature did not allow for votes on the passage of legislation that he authored, he was able to deliver "$2 million in assistance for the 2009 east Volusia flood victims.

He won the Democratic primary uncontested and faced Michael Cantu, a small business owner and the Republican nominee, in the general election.

[9][10][11][12] As Taylor is unable to seek a fifth term to the legislature in 2016, he instead announced that he was running for Chair of Volusia County against Republican Jason Davis.