Texas Republican Rep. Ted Poe announced Tuesday he won’t seek re-election in 2018, telling constituents he plans to spend more time with his family upon retirement.
“I am grateful for the honor and privilege to represent the best people in America, Texas’s Second Congressional District. Thanks to the good Lord, I’m in good health, but it’s time for the next step,” he said in a Facebook post. “I am looking forward to spending more time in Texas, especially with my 12 grandkids who have all been born since I was first elected to Congress.”
Poe, who was elected to Congress in 2004, won his last election with 60.6 percent of the vote, signaling Republicans won’t have a difficult time retaining the seat.
“I am proud of the work that my office has accomplished: giving crime victims a voice, helping to combat human trafficking, and fighting for our constitutional rights and individual liberty,” he continued in the statement. “I will continue this work every day until I retire at the end of this term. And that’s just the way it is.”
The Texas Republican was diagnosed with Leukemia in July 2016 and sought treatment at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Poe is the second GOP lawmaker in the lower chamber to announce their retirement Tuesday. New Jersey moderate Rep. Frank LoBiondo confirmed he won’t seek re-election earlier in the day.