WASHINGTON _ A fourth Texas Republican _ the third in a week _ has announced plans to retire from the U.S. House of Representatives after 2018.
Rep. Ted Poe, of Humble, announced the news Tuesday evening, calling it an "honor and privilege" to represent the 2nd Congressional District.
"Thanks to the good Lord, I'm in good health, but it's time for the next step," he said in a statement, acknowledging his 2016 battle with leukemia. "I am looking forward to spending more time in Texas, especially with my 12 grandkids who have all been born since I was first elected to Congress."
Poe, a former criminal court judge in Houston, cited "giving crime victims a voice, helping to combat human trafficking, and fighting for our constitutional rights and individual liberty" as among his office's achievements.
"I will continue this work every day until I retire at the end of this term. And that's just the way it is," he said.
Poe announced in January that his cancer is in remission. A spokeswoman said his health is "in no way" a factor in his decision to not seek re-election.
His news comes amid a wave of retirement announcements from prominent Republicans, including a handful of Texans.
More than a dozen GOP members have decided to retire or resign from Congress before the end of their term. They include New Jersey Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo who, like Poe, announced his decision on Tuesday. LoBiondo, a moderate, cited political divisiveness as a factor.
Last week, two prominent Texas Republicans _ Dallas Rep. Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the Financial Services Committee, and San Antonio Rep. Lamar Smith, who heads the Science, Space and Technology Committee _ announced they will not seek re-election.
Both insisted the raucous political climate under President Donald Trump didn't play into their decision. Hensarling said he wants to spend more time back in Texas with his teenage children, while both men pointed to the end of their terms as committee chairmen as a major factor.
In January, Plano Republican Rep. Sam Johnson, 87, became the first to announce he will retire after this term.
Poe's heavily red district hasn't been on the radar of Congressional Democrats, who are hoping to seize upon Trump's unpopularity to reclaim the House majority in the midterm elections.
Poe handily won his 2016 re-election with more than 60 percent of the vote. Trump, meanwhile, defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by a narrower 52 percent to 43 margin.
