After initially announcing in October last year that he would not seek reelection, eight-term House member Rep. Eddie Lucio III has expedited his resignation. In a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, the Brownsville Democrat said Friday his resignation will be effective Jan 31.
An attorney and small businessman, Rep. Lucio was first elected to represent District 38 in the Texas House in Nov. 2006, succeeding state Rep. Jim Solis. During his eight terms in the House he specialized in environmental, water, education, workforce training and insurance issues.
In October last year, Lucio announced that he would not be running for reelection. He released a statement in which he said he was looking forward to starting “this next chapter in my life with a focus on family, friends, and business,” but added that he would remain active in the community, chamber of commerce, and institutions of education.
Lucio has not provided a reason for his early exit, which sets up a potential special election to finish his term, though whoever wins would only serve for a short time and would not be able to compete for a full term because the filing deadline has already passed for the November election. Two Democrats are running for the full term in District 38: Erin Gamez and Jonathan Gracia. No Republican filed for the seat in the district that has historically favored Democrats.
