AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State Rep. Poncho Nevarez, D-Eagle Pass, will not run for re-election, a member of his staff confirmed. His decision was first reported by The Texas Tribune Friday afternoon.
“I will not stand for reelection for a fifth…term in the Texas House of Representatives,” his statement reads. “I want to thank the folks in HD 74 who put me in a position to serve. For a kid from Eagle Pass, traveling the district, meeting people from all over, no matter the divide, has been exhilarating and an honor.”
The Eagle Pass Democrat currently chairs the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety and is vice-chair of the Select Committee on Mass Violence Prevention and Community Safety. He represents House District 74, which covers 45,000 square miles and two time zones.
“We talk about how important family and health is in all this, and as such my family needs me and I need them,” his statement says. “I must heal up for the rest of what may come in my life. So, it is time to come home.”
Nevarez, who has served in the Texas House since 2013, has been vocal about border-related issues and has also previously voiced his support for a ban on open carry of semi-automatic rifles.
It’s not clear yet who will run for his seat.
“No doubt there is much work to be done in our state going forward, but I am ever the optimist about our future,” Nevarez says. “I will never stop preaching the gospel of the Borderlands.”
