After partisan year, Speaker Joe Straus not seeking reelection

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a major shift in the Texas Legislature, longtime Texas House Speaker Joe Straus announced Wednesday morning he is not seeking reelection.
Straus, R-San Antonio, ran for the Texas House in 2005 and has been serving as the House speaker since January 2009.
In a letter to his constituents, Straus says, “In every legislative session, I’ve tried to bring real solutions to real challenges.” He notes that even as “politics has become more tribal and divi