After voting with Democrats to kill a school choice proposal in the Texas House, State Rep. Kyle Kacal has announced he will not be seeking re-election.
A Republican from Bryan, Kacal represents House District 12 which includes Grimes, Madison, Robertson, Walker, and Washington counties, as well as a portion of Brazos County. He was first elected to the Texas House in 2012
Since entering the legislature, Kacal has worked against conservative reforms and sided with Democrats to grow government.
Kacal voted to allow Democrats to chair key committees, letting liberal Democrats be in charge of legislation regarding education, business and industry, and transportation.
Despite the failure of unreliable energy sources like wind and solar leaving millions of Texans without electricity, Kacal voted against every opportunity to reform a program that provides taxpayer subsidies for the unreliable energy sources.
During the 87th regular legislative session in 2021, Kacal was among six other Republican lawmakers who joined with Democrats to author legislation seeking to expand Medicaid in Texas, under the terms of the Affordable Care Act or “ObamaCare.”
Kacal was also one of a handful of Republicans who voted with Democrats to reject a proposal to ban mask mandates by state and local governments.
And when Democrats infamously fled for Washington, D.C., to break quorum in 2021, Kacal immediately called for compromise and surrender to the Democrats.
Kacal had announced he would seek re-election back in September, but reversed the decision on Monday.
“These have proven the most conservative and productive legislative sessions in Texas history,” said Kacal. “They didn’t come about by accident, and they certainly weren’t the result of pandering, grandstanding, or stoking divisions within the Republican Party. Instead, they have been the direct result of serious conservatives coming together to govern like responsible adults, which is increasingly rare in politics today.”
Kacal is only the latest anti-school choice Republican to announce their retirement, as State Rep. Andrew Murr (R–Junction) announced he would not be seeking re-election last week.
Gov. Greg Abbott quickly endorsed Huntsvillle ISD trustee Trey Wharton for the position.
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