Texas congressman Ted Poe will not seek re-election in 2018

HOUSTON – Texas Congressman Ted Poe will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018.

Poe said he was grateful to serve "the best people in America."

Poe ended his message by saying, "And that's just the way it is."

Here is his entire message that was released Tuesday:

“Today, I am announcing that I will not seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. I am grateful for the honor and privilege to represent the best people in America, Texas’s Second Congressional District. Thanks to the good Lord, I’m in good health, but it’s time for the next step. I am looking forward to spending more time in Texas, especially with my 12 grandkids who have all been born since I was first elected to Congress. I am proud of the work that my office has accomplished: giving crime victims a voice, helping to combat human trafficking, and fighting for our constitutional rights and individual liberty. I will continue this work every day until I retire at the end of this term. And that’s just the way it is.”