State Rep. Anna Mowery (R, Fort Worth) is resigning her seat as of August 31, meaning there will be a special election to replace her in November.
"I have enjoyed a special relationship with the constituents of District 97 and have always endeavored to give them a voice in the political process," Mowery, 76, wrote in a letter she sent to Gov. Rick Perry late Tuesday.District 97 covers the southwest corner of Tarrant County, including southwest Fort Worth and Benbrook. Mowery's term would have expired in January 2009.
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Mowery announced in May, at the end of the legislative session, that she would not run for an 11th term.
"You all have been a barrel of fun the whole damn time," Mowery said on the house floor announcing her retirement.
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Mowery first won the District 97 seat in a special election in 1988, after state Rep. Bob Leonard resigned to become a lobbyist.
Leonard announced Tuesday that he is a candidate to reclaim his seat in the Texas House. He has received the endorsements of Mark Mowery and Fort Worth Councilman Chuck Silcox, who had been considering entering the race.
Anna Mowery will not endorse a candidate, Mark Mowery said.
More than 10 other candidates have signaled in recent months that they are considering a run for Mowery's seat, including, among Republicans, Fort Worth school board member Chris Hatch, former Fort Worth Councilman Clyde Picht and Fort Worth lawyer Robert Higgins, who unsuccessfully challenged Mowery in the 2006 primary.
Democrat Dan Barrett, a Fort Worth lawyer who opposed Mowery in the general election in 2006, has said he is considering pursuing the seat again.