Rep. Marc Veasey, a 7th-term Democrat from North Texas, announced Monday that he would not seek reelection, instead running for Tarrant County judge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis decision is about where I can best serve the people of Tarrant County. It\u2019s about strengthening our party, opening the door for new leadership, and ensuring that our community continues to thrive,\u201d Veasey said in a statement<\/a> Monday night.<\/p>\n Veasey has been involved in county Democratic politics for decades, going back to his work as a district aide to Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas. Veasey studied mass communications at Texas Wesleyan University. Before joining Frost\u2019s team, he had a few different jobs, including a stint on the sports desk of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.<\/p>\n His decision not to seek reelection is among the fallout of the Supreme Court\u2019s decision to allow Texas to proceed with new GOP-favorable congressional district maps for 2026, as well as the announcement<\/a> by\u00a0Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett that she would run for Senate in Texas.<\/p>\n \u201cTarrant County is at a crossroads. I\u2019ve seen firsthand how racially gerrymandered maps were designed to weaken the power of Black and Latino voters in North Texas \u2014 communities I have spent my entire career fighting for,\u201d Veasey said in his statement. \u201cThe people here deserve leadership grounded in truth, service, and respect \u2014 not division, extremism, and political stunts.\u201d<\/p>\n Veasey represents the current version of Texas\u2019 33rd District, but his Fort Worth base was drawn out of the seat under the new map. Former Rep. Colin Allred dropped out of the Democratic primary for Senate to run for the reconfigured 33rd District seat just ahead of Crockett\u2019s announcement. Allred\u2019s move tees up a likely Democratic primary against Rep. Julie Elizabeth Johnson.<\/p>\n