The San Antonio Republican announced on Wednesday that he would not be running for reelection, a move that came as a surprise to many.
Videos by Rare
RELATED: Speaker Joe Straus Has Clear Position on What Should Happen to the Confederate Plaque.
“I believe that in a representative democracy, those who serve in public office should do so for a time, not for a lifetime,” Straus said in an email and Facebook post from his campaign account. He’s been speaker of the Texas House since 2009, and this would have been his sixth term if he’d been reelected.
Straus has been in the news a few times lately due to his clashes with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick over legislation like the infamous Bathroom Bill and his move to get Confederate monuments like the plaque on state capitol property taken down.
“Instead of acting on behalf of the entire House, I will now have a greater opportunity to express my own views and priorities. I will also continue to work for a Republican Party that tries to bring Texans together instead of us pulling us apart,” Straus stated in his Facebook message.