Texas Rep. Andrew Murr, who pushed for AG Ken Paxton's ouster, not seeking reelection

Rep. Andrew Murr, the Hill Country Republican who spearheaded embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment in the Texas House earlier this year, announced Monday he would not seek reelection.

Serving as the chairman of the House General Investigating Committee, Murr, R-Junction, has been a trusted ally of House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, and is closing a decade-long career in the lower chamber in hopes of spending more time with his wife and four children.

"I’ve missed touchdowns, base hits, school field trips and summer fishing trips," Murr wrote. "I’ve missed birthdays, first steps, and first words."

More: Meet Rep. Andrew Murr, the Hill Country rancher who led Texas AG Ken Paxton impeachment push

A practicing attorney, rancher and grandson of former Gov. Coke Stevenson, Murr said he feels it is time to return focus to his personal affairs after what feels like "a lifetime in state politics."

"I’ve put ranch work on hold, often to its own detriment, and now — quite literally — cows are calling me home," Murr said.

This year, Murr's investigating committee has examined complaints against two state officials: former Rep. Bryan Slaton and Paxton. The House Investigating Committee in May advanced to the full House a sexual misconduct complaint against Slaton, R-Royse City, that accused the official of having sexual intercourse with a 19-year-old legislative aide who worked in his office. A day after Slaton resigned, the House unanimously voted to expel him, marking the first time in nearly 100 years the state’s lower chamber ousted one of its own.

More: Texas House voted 147-0 to expel Rep. Bryan Slaton after sexual misconduct finding

Also in May, the investigating committee advanced to the House 20 articles of impeachment, including charges of bribery and abuse of office, against Paxton. On May 27, the House overwhelmingly voted to impeach Paxton and advanced the case to the Senate for trial. The Senate in September acquitted Paxton on all charges.

In the months since his acquittal, Paxton has constantly expressed disdain for Phelan and other Republicans who voted for his ouster, and has publicly endorsed a slew of their right-wing primary challengers.

"It's been too long in Texas, where the Texas House actually answered to the voters," Paxton posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday. "People are running all over Texas to defeat some of these House members that have supported Dade. And by the way, he's got several opponents. And I think there's a very good chance that we're going to win these elections, a lot of them."

Murr on Monday said his decision against reelection was not influenced by Paxton's post-acquittal push to exact revenge. Paxton has endorsed Wes Virdell, who is running for the seat Murr has held since 2014.

More: Overwhelming GOP support helped Texas House impeach AG Ken Paxton. Senate trial is next.

"I want to be very clear that these threats had no bearing on my decision to retire from the Texas House, and I have every confidence that I could continue to represent our district with the same level of integrity and accomplishment you deserve and have come to expect," Murr said.

Murr remains steadfast behind the House's impeachment vote, saying in his farewell statement that Paxton's team did not argue that the attorney general was innocent of abusing the power of his office to give favorable legal advice and assistance to Nate Paul, a former campaign donor and Austin real estate developer who is currently facing several federal indictments.

Instead, he said, Paxton's defense focused on issues with the impeachment process and that the attorney general's actions did not warrant his removal from office.

"I for one would never accept that low standard," Murr said.

To Murr's political retirement announcement, Paxton posted on X: "One down and many more to go!"

More: Ken Paxton makes political threats against three House members behind his impeachment

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Andrew Murr, who led Ken Paxton's impeachment, won't seek reelection