Sen. Fraser Decides Against Running for Re-election

State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, announced Tuesday that he is not running for re-election, ending a tenure at the Capitol that has spanned four decades.

"There comes a time when leaders must take a look at the trail they have blazed and reflect on all they have done," Fraser wrote in a letter to colleagues and friends. "There also comes a time when leaders must allow others the opportunity to leave their mark. Today marks that time for me."

Fraser, who chaired the Natural Resources Committee this past session, was the seventh-most senior member of the Senate, having taken office in January 1997. From 1988 to 1993, he served in the House. 

In the letter, Fraser said he never strayed far from the values that helped him win his first election.

"As a conservative, I have made it my priority to ensure government lives within its means, never spending more than it takes in," he wrote, touting his advocacy for a business-friendly environment in Texas, the statewide water plan, and funding for higher education and medical services in Senate District 24.

He said his "proudest accomplishment" was passing Texas' voter ID law in 2011, considered the toughest in the nation. A legal challenge to the statute is still working its way through federal courts.

Fraser's seat is all but likely to stay in Republican hands. The district, which covers 17 counties in Central Texas, overlaps those of several GOP members of the House.