Lamar Smith to retire from Congress

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), a veteran lawmaker who chairs the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, will not seek reelection in 2018, according to a statement from his office.

“For several reasons, this seems like a good time to pass on the privilege of representing the 21st District to someone else. At the end of this Congress, I will have completed my six-year term as Chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. I have one new grandchild and a second arriving soon!! And I hope to find other ways to stay involved in politics,” Smith said in the statement. 

Smith was elected in 1987 and represents Texas’s 21st Congressional District, which includes Austin, San Antonio and Texas Hill Country.

Smith’s seat is in a comfortably red district that voted for President Trump over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 10 percentage points. Smith won reelection in 2016 with 57 percent of the vote, compared to just 36 percent for his nearest competitor.