Wealthy trial attorney and the former host of the television reality show “Texas Justice” Larry Joe Doherty (D) is gunning to take out Rep. Mike McCaul (R) in the 10th district, according to a press release put out by the Democrat’s campaign on Monday.

“I realize this district was designed by [former Rep.] Tom DeLay for Republicans,” Doherty said in a prepared statement.

“Mike McCaul has abdicated his responsibility,” Doherty added. “He refuses to question the $720 million spent every day in Iraq while voting to deny lower-income children health insurance. … He can’t hide behind Tom DeLay’s skirt anymore — Texans are ready to correct course.”

The Republican-leaning 10th district runs from the western reaches of Houston through mostly rural counties to northern Austin. It was created as a part of the 2003 redistricting engineered by DeLay, then the House Majority Leader. McCaul, a former federal prosecutor, was elected a year later.

McCaul won a second term last year with 55 percent of the vote. President Bush won the district in 2004 with 62 percent.

Doherty, who starred on the syndicated courtroom reality series from 2001 to 2005 — the show can still be seen in reruns — banked $171,237 as of Sept. 30. That put him ahead of McCaul, who had just $124,874 on hand at the end of September.

McCaul has media links himself: His father-in-law is the chairman of Clear Channel Communications.

— David M. Drucker