In a surprise announcement, State Rep. John Zerwas (R–Richmond) announced he would not seek re-election to the Texas House and would, instead, resign effective September 30.

Elected to the Texas House 12 years ago, Zerwas most recently served as the chairman of the Appropriations Committee where he acted as the chief budget writer for the House.

In a statement given to the media, Zerwas praised Speaker Dennis Bonnen, saying, “I am especially proud of the work we were able to accomplish this most recent session, and a lot of the success is due to the leadership of Speaker Dennis Bonnen.”

During his time in the legislature, Zerwas earned a career “F” rating on the Fiscal Responsibility Index due to his liberal voting record. In 2013, Zerwas led an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to bring Obamacare to Texas through Medicaid expansion.

“Although I am leaving elected office, I look forward to continuing to serve Texas in another capacity,” Zerwas said, leaving the door open for future involvement. Zerwas is rumored in the Capitol to be nominated to the University of Texas System as the Executive Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs.

Following his official resignation, a special election will be scheduled to fill the seat for the remainder of his term.

Brandon Waltens

Brandon serves as the Senior Editor for Texas Scorecard. After managing successful campaigns for top conservative legislators and serving as a Chief of Staff in the Texas Capitol, Brandon moved outside the dome in order to shine a spotlight on conservative victories and establishment corruption in Austin. @bwaltens

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