Friday, Republican State Rep. John Cyrier (Lockhart) announced he would not be seeking reelection to the Texas House of Representatives.
Cyrier has represented Texas House District 17 since 2015 and is the current Chairman of the Sunset Advisory Commission. His announcement makes him the 19th House lawmaker to announce that they will not be seeking reelection to the same position.
His announcement comes in light of drawing two primary election challengers which include longtime activist and recent ExxonMobil retiree Tom Glass and concerned parent and activist Jen Bezner.
Notably, Cyrier was a very brief candidate for speaker of the House last year, before he dropped out in a matter of hours and endorsed Republican State Rep. Geanie Morrison (Victoria), who also had a short-lived campaign for the position.
In total 23 lawmakers have announced they will not be seeking reelection to their current positions, which includes 4 in the Texas Senate. Reportedly, 20 names were given to House Speaker Dade Phelan at the outset of the recently concluded special legislative session. If true, it is possible additional announcements are forthcoming.
The shakeup coupled with new legislative district boundaries as a result of the decennial redistricting process almost certainly provides an opportunity for Conservative Texans hoping to influence the political disposition of the Texas Legislature in the next election cycle.