For the first time, Democratic Congressman Marc Veasey of Fort Worth is opening up about his decision not to run for re-election in the 33rd Congressional District or any other elected office in this year’s election cycle. 

In an interview with CBS News Texas, Veasey said, “It’s been a long time since I haven’t been on the ballot. It’s been over 20 years since my name hasn’t been on the ballot. And my name was actually still on the ballot. I actually had to tell people that I had suspended my campaign for County Judge here in Tarrant, and that I had gotten behind Alisa Simmons. So, that was very odd in and of itself, because there were people that were still coming up to me and telling me, hey, I voted for you. And the word just hadn’t gotten out. And so, yeah, it was different. But, you know, I’m in a good place. I, I thought that I was going to be running for re-election, in the U.S. House. It just didn’t work out.”

Because of the mid-decade redistricting in Texas, Veasey became a victim of political musical chairs. The number of Democratic-majority Congressional Districts in North Texas decreased from three to two. The 33rd District, which Veasey has represented since 2013, and is in Tarrant and Dallas counties, was redrawn so that starting in January, it will only be in Dallas County. He decided against running for re-election in this district and instead, considered the nearby 30th Congressional District where Jasmine Crockett announced on the day of the filing deadline she was running for U.S. Senate instead of her newly drawn district, which included more of Tarrant County but no longer her home address. 

His decision came up right against the filing deadline on December 8. “I thought there was going to be an opportunity for me to run in Congressional District 30. But it just didn’t work out the way that I wanted it to. There was another plan going on there between Jasmine and her pastor Freddie Haynes and he got in. I didn’t know that he was going to get into the race, honestly, until the very last minute. I had heard that he was going to get into the race on that Friday before the filing deadline. That was the first time I had heard his name, and then I heard that he was going to not be in. Then, of course, I heard that he filed on Monday morning before I was supposed to file. I saw that as a sign that maybe this was not the best opportunity for me. I think that I could have been successful in the campaign like that. Obviously, it would have been a very tough race. I think that he would have been a formidable opponent. But I congratulate him on his win.. I think he’s going to do a good job.” 

Texas U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey talks not being on the ballot on election day by
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With little time left before the 6pm deadline on December 8, Veasey said he decided to run for Tarrant County Judge. “I had to make my decision in a few hours on whether or not I was going to file for County Judge. So, I did that, and after some contemplation and some thoughts several days after I filed, I was like, you know what, I don’t think that I want to be the County Judge right now. I just don’t think that is the door that God is showing me that I should walk through right now. I just decided that I wasn’t going to do it and then decided to get behind Alisa (Simmons) and do everything I can to help her beat Tim O’Hare.”

As for the immediate future, Veasey said his plans are clear. “I’m looking forward to the role that I’m going to play, sort of sitting, as I say, on the other side of the desk and watching and helping Democratic candidates, get elected here locally and statewide.” But after he leaves office at the end of his term in December, Veasey said he is still considering his options. “I will know sometime by the end of the year what I’m going to do. I don’t know now. But I’m looking for it. I know there’s going to be a lot of opportunities for me. I’ve been doing this a long time now. So, I think that God has been good for me. He opened up a lot of doors for me, in politics, to serve as a staffer and then later to serve in the state legislature and in the U.S. Congress for seven terms. There will be new chapters and new doors that will open, and we’ll see where it takes me. But I’m excited.”

Asked if this will include the possibility of going back into elected politics, Veasey said, “I’m never going to say never. I mean, right now I don’t see myself getting back into elective politics. But, you know, as I say, never, never say never. We’ll see what sort of opportunities open up.”

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