State Rep. Leighton Schubert not seeking re-election

Texas Elections 2018

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz defeated Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke in the race for U.S. Senate. View full 2018 Texas election results or subscribe to The Brief for the latest election news.

 More in this series 

State Rep. Leighton Schubert, R-Caldwell, announced Thursday that he is not running for re-election in 2018.

"At the end of the day, I am a family man, and my family comes first," Schubert said in a statement obtained by The Texas Tribune. "The highest honor of my life is serving as a husband and father. My family has made tremendous sacrifices to allow me to serve in this position and it is time for me to focus more on that role."

Schubert's retirement is a surprise. He had already filed for re-election — the deadline is Monday — and Gov. Greg Abbott had endorsed him for another term.

Schubert was first elected to House District 13 in a special election in 2015. He replaced state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, who had won a promotion to the upper chamber.

“Serving my community has always been a passion of mine,” Schubert said. “Going forward, I will continue to find avenues to serve."

Currently, one Democrat, Cecil Webster, is running for Schubert's seat next year.