Texas Congresswoman Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D) announced on Saturday that she will be retiring from Congress once she finishes her current term, according to The Dallas Morning News. She has served in Congress for nearly thirty years.
Johnson, who is 85 years old, has represented Texas’ 30th congressional district since 1993. The Dallas Morning news noted in their report that she told a crowd of 600 in Dallas that she will recommend another candidate to fill her shoes. She announced Wednesday that Texas state House Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) has her endorsement.
“I’ve worked hard. It’s not just a title — it’s a job,” Johnson reportedly said in her announcement.
“It’s been some rugged times, but I have not acknowledged it. I was determined that I wouldn’t just be a title. I wanted to deliver. I thought about the district and all the needs that it had,” she continued. “I will retire and I will recommend to you who is the best to follow me.”
To conclude her remarks, Johnson noted that “nothing has been more heartwarming than the overwhelming support for me to run one more term.”
Johnson is the latest in a slew of House Democrats to announce they will not be seeking reelection next year. Last week, California Democrat Rep. Jackie Speier announced her retirement. Others who are not seeking reelection include Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA).
In a statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Johnson for making history as the first African American woman to become chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
“Chairwoman Johnson has made history — from being the first Black woman elected to state public office from Dallas, to being the first African American and first woman Chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology — whose leadership has made a difference in our nation,” Pelosi said in the statement.
It was also noted that Johnson was a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and was “vital to the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill” that was signed into law this month by President Biden.
“Johnson is the 16th Democrat so far to announce retirement before the 2022 election that is expected to bring a Republican majority to the House in the midterms,” the Dallas Morning News explained in their report.
Biden’s plummeting poll numbers, record-high inflation, and his poorly executed withdrawal from Afghanistan have likely prompted several Democratic lawmakers to not seek reelection. That, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s loss in Virginia, likely foreshadow what’s to come in the next year’s midterms.
In an interview with Fox News this month, former Florida governor and current Sen. Rick Scott (R) said that Republicans are going to do “unbelievably” well in 2022.
“We’re going to take back the Senate, absolutely,” Scott told Fox News. “We’re going to do unbelievably in 2022 because we have the right message.”
In another interview, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) told Fox News “I think the elections in Virginia, the elections in New Jersey, they’re foreshadowing what’s coming next year in 2022."