Waco Republican Sen. Brian Birdwell Won’t Seek Reelection

Republican Sen. Brian Birdwell on Monday announced that he will not seek reelection next year but will serve out the rest of his term.

“It has been the high honor of my life, on par with commanding United States soldiers, to serve my fellow Texans for over 15 years,” he wrote in a statement on X on Monday. The letter did not explain why he will not seek another term.

Birdwell’s district encompasses Waco and east Arlington near Dallas and Fort Worth. He has served in the Senate since he won a special election to the seat in 2010. This past session, he chaired the Senate Committee on Natural Resources.

“During my time in the Senate, we affirmed that Texas is a sanctuary for the unborn, expanded Second Amendment freedoms, banned woke insanity such as ESG and DEI, protected religious liberty, provided historic property tax relief, imposed transparency on several government agencies, and prevented significant amounts of bad legislation from reaching the Senate floor,” Birdwell wrote in his announcement.

He also thanked “my friend” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, “for his leadership, friendship, and trust.”

Birdwell still will represent District 22 next month when the Legislature convenes for a special session to discuss THC regulations starting on July 21.