Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) said Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in 2018, becoming the third Texas Republican in the last week to announce their retirement.
Poe said he wanted to spend more time with his family, including his 12 grandchildren who were all born since he was first elected to the House in 2004. The 69-year-old lawmaker was diagnosed with leukemia last year, but noted in his statement that he is now healthy.
“I am grateful for the honor and privilege to represent the best people in America, Texas’s Second Congressional District,” Poe said in the statement.
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Poe is known on Capitol Hill for ending every House floor speech with the same words: “And that’s just the way it is.” The Texas Republican didn’t miss the opportunity to insert his signature catchphrase in his retirement announcement.
“I will continue this work every day until I retire at the end of this term. And that’s just the way it is,” Poe said.
Poe joins two senior Texas Republicans, Reps. Jeb Hensarling and Lamar Smith, in announcing plans not to seek reelection next year.
Hensarling and Smith are both term-limited as chairmen of the House Financial Services and Science, Space and Technology committees, respectively.
Another Texas Republican, Rep. Sam Johnson, announced earlier this year that he wouldn’t seek reelection.
Poe would not have faced a difficult path to reelection had he chosen to run again in 2018. President Trump carried his reliably Republican Houston-area district by 10 points last year.
Poe was the second House Republican to announce their retirement on Tuesday, as the GOP prepares to vote on tax reform as soon as next week. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), a member of the centrist Tuesday Group, said he will not seek reelection in 2018.
LoBiondo’s southern New Jersey district is considered more competitive, given that Trump won it by only 4 points over Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.