Congressman Joe Barton Announces He Won’t Run for Re-Election
Thursday, in an interview with the Dallas Morning News, embattled Texas Congressman Joe Barton (R- Ennis) announced he won't run for re-election in 2018.
"I’ve always listened to people in Texas and worked for them in Washington, and I’ve been listening to a lot of people the last week in Texas," he said. "...There are enough people who lost faith in me that it’s time to step aside and let there be a new voice for the 6th district in Washington, so I am not going to run for re-election."
Over the past week, Congressman Barton has been involved in a scandal in which nude photos, from past relationships, were leaked on social media.
According to the Republican Party of Texas website, as of the evening of November 30th, two candidates have filed to run for the 6th Congressional District in next year's Republican Primary. The candidates vying to replace Barton are: J.K. "Jake" Ellzey and Deborah Gagliardi.
Now that Barton has officially announced he won't run for re-election, additional candidates may file to run before the December 11, 2017 deadline.