Best in Moderation
State Rep. James White, a conservative Republican who represented his East Texas district for 11 years, has resigned his seat in the Texas House to take a job as executive director of the Texas Funeral Services Commission.
White, a Black Republican who first won election to the Texas House during the Tea Party wave of 2010 by ousting a longtime Democrat, had already decided not to seek reelection to the chamber this year and instead opted for an unsuccessful primary challenge to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. White’s term was set to end in January when his successor would take office. But White left a few months early when he made his resignation official on Aug. 11.
“It has been a privilege and honor to serve my fellow Texans in Tyler, Angelina, Hardin, Jasper, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto and Trinity counties for the last six sessions,” he wrote in his resignation letter to Gov. Greg Abbott. “I am proud of the work that I have accomplished for my community and for our whole state.”
White’s departure leaves the Legislature with no Black Republicans. It also creates a vacancy to lead the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, which has been tasked with finding legislative proposals to prevent future mass shootings like the attack on Robb Elementary in Uvalde in May.
Article URL : https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/17/james-white-texas-house-resignation/