3 Texas Republican Congressmen not seeking re-election- What's Your Point ?

This week’s panel: Ben Streusand, conservative commentator, “Three Amigos”, KSEV Radio; Mary Moreno, Communication Chief for The Texas Organizing Project; Bob Price, Associate Editor for Breitbart Texas; Mustafa Tameez, democratic consultant, FOX 26 political contributor; Charles Blain, Urban Reform; Antonio Diaz, writer, educator and radio host, , talk about Republican representatives choosing not to seek re-election.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -  August 1, 2019    U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, an ex-CIA undercover officer and the lone black Republican in the House of Representatives, says he won't seek a third term next year, becoming the ninth GOP lawmaker not returning in 2020.

The San Antonio Republican's announcement came in a Thursday statement posted on his House web page. He's the third Texas Republican to announce that he won't seek re-election to the House, joining Michael Conaway of Midland and Pete Olson of Sugar Land .

Hurd says he wants to work in the private sector toward solutions to "problems at the nexus between technology and national security."

Hurd has served the sprawling 23rd Congressional District, a 71% Latino district extending from San Antonio to El Paso. He was one of only four House Republicans to vote to condemn President Donald Trump's racist tweets taunting four Democratic congresswomen.

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) -   July 31, 2019 Republican Rep. Michael Conaway announced Wednesday that he won't seek a ninth term representing a sprawling West Texas congressional district.

Conaway announced his decision at a news conference in Midland. In a statement, he said that while serving in the U.S. House, he had asked his family "to make innumerable sacrifices." He said the time had come for him to put his family first.

The veteran lawmaker has represented the 11th District since 2005 when he succeeded veteran Democrat Chet Edwards. The district comprises 29 counties stretching from the New Mexico border to the Brazos River valley and south to the Edwards Plateau. It includes the Permian Basin and the Low Rolling Plains of West Texas.

Conaway is the seventh House Republican this year and fourth in the past week to announce that they won't seek new terms in the 2020 elections. Rep. Martha Roby of Alabama, Pete Olson of Texas and Paul Mitchell of Michigan announced last week they wouldn't run for another term. Other House Republicans who have announced that they won't seek new terms are Susan Brooks of Indiana, Rob Bishop of Utah, and Rob Woodall of Georgia.

Three Democratic representatives are not running for re-election. One of them, New Mexico's Ben Ray Lujan, is running for Senate.

Republicans will need to gain 18 seats to win House control in November 2020. Democrats control the chamber 235-197, with one independent and two vacancies.

July 25, 2019   Representative Pete Olson of the 22nd District of Texas has announced that he will not be pursuing reelection in 2020, making this his final term in Congress.

Olson released the following statement on Thursday: 

"It has been a privilege and an honor to represent the people of the 22nd District of Texas for the past decade in Congress. Following graduation from the University of Texas School of Law, my adult life has been spend honorably serving our nation: first as an officer and pilot in the United States Navy, then to the halls of the United States Senate working with two of Texas' greatest senators, and, most incredibly, as the voice in Congress for the amazing people who call the 22nd District home.

For six terms, the voters of our district have placed their faith in me to represent their concerns in the House of Representatives.  The time I have spent working with them and for them has been a tremendous blessing.  It is truly impossible to quantify how many inspiring, generous, heroic, and kind-hearted neighbors I have been fortunate to meet, work with, and learn from throughout my time in Congress.  But, it has also come at great personal sacrifice to my family. My amazing wife, Nancy, has carried the lion’s share of parenting our two great children. Her mother has suffered health issues that require more care and attention.  As someone who has long advocated for policies that put our families first, it’s time for me to take my own advice and be a more consistent presence to help our family. To that end, while I will complete my term in the 116th Congress, I will not be seeking re-election.

Protecting our future and preserving our exceptional nation are the reasons I first ran for Congress. My constant focus was to strengthen our national security, expand our economy to provide more opportunities for hard-working Texas families, and limit the power of the federal government over our lives and businesses.  Now, it’s time for another citizen-legislator to take up this mission, not to make a career out of politics, but to help lead in the cause of empowering our people, defending our liberties, and making sure America remains the greatest nation in history.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.