State Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) announced on July 5 that she will not be seeking another term, according to a press release.
Nelson represents Texas Senate District 12, which covers parts of northeast Tarrant County and southern Denton County. She is now serving her 10th term and has served for a total of 28 years, the longest tenure of any Republican senator, according to a report by NBC DFW.
“Serving SD12 has been a great honor,” Nelson stated on Twitter. “I promised to listen, work hard and deliver results and have strived to fulfill that pledge. You can count on me to keep working to build a better Texas, but I will not be running for re-election.”
Nelson leaves her position with a lengthy record of achievements, including legislation to establish the Texas Cancer Research and Prevention Institute, medical liability reform, a foster care system overhaul, reinstating physical education into the school schedule and affirming teachers’ rights to issue accurate grades.
“Our accomplishments have improved the lives of Texans, which makes me proud,” Nelson stated in the press release. “I love my constituents, my staff and my colleagues in the Senate and owe them, as well as my family, a debt of gratitude.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) described Nelson as “the finest finance chair in Texas history” in a statement.
“It is hard to overestimate the positive impact of Jane’s service to the state of Texas and I know Texans are grateful,” Patrick said. “She will be missed by me and the 30 other senators on so many levels. She was a mentor to me and made me a better senator and lieutenant governor. She is my friend.”
In addition, Nelson was the third Republican woman elected to the Senate and the first to serve as the chair of a standing Senate committee after Gov. Rick Perry appointed her chair of the Senate Health Committee in 1998.
Before entering politics, Nelson was an educator, teaching in Arlington elementary schools for six years prior to being elected to her first term in 1992 and serving on the State Board of Education for four years in two terms.
Her term is set to end in January 2023.
