Texas Rep. Ted Poe announced he would not seek re-election, becoming the second House Republican to announce retirement Tuesday.
Poe, in his announcement via Twitter, said he was proud of the work he had done during his time in office.
“I will continue this work every day until I retire at the end of this term,” Poe said. “And that’s just the way it is.”
The latest raft of retirements opens up still more races in the 2018 midterms, which are seeing an increasing number of more senior Republicans heading for the exits.
Poe, a former judge, took office in 2005 and is set to exit Congress alongside many of his Republican colleagues, including senior members from his home state of Texas. Last week, two House chairmen from Texas announced they would not seek re-election, and Poe’s announcement came on the heels of New Jersey Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo’s own retirement announcement Tuesday.
In his statement announcing retirement, LoBiondo cited increasing polarization in Congress as an impediment to his work. Poe, in his initial Twitter statement, was uncritical and said he is looking forward to spending time back home.
Poe was diagnosed with leukemia last year, but in his statement Tuesday said he is in good health. In March, he parted ways with the conservative House Freedom Caucus after the group helped tank a Republican repeal of Obamacare.
At the time, Poe dismissed the group as unproductive, saying, “They’d vote ‘no’ against the Ten Commandments if it came up for a vote.”
