Is Fort Worth’s Charlie Geren the last man standing?

State Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth may soon be the last man standing.

In 2009, Geren and 10 other House members frustrated with the way then-House Speaker Tom Craddick led the lower chamber met to try to find a new leader.

Dubbed the ABC Republicans — standing for “Anybody But Craddick” — the group teamed up behind one candidate, Joe Straus, for speaker.

When the group joined forces with a majority of the House Democrats, Craddick dropped out of the race.

Straus was easily elected to office that year.

Now Straus, who has been House speaker ever since, has announced he won’t seek re-election next year.

State Rep. Byron Cook, a Corsicana Republican and ABC member as well, quickly followed suit.

Geren, who has been in office since 2001, said he’s still seeking re-election next year.

If he wins his bid to represent House District 99, he will be the last of the ABC Republicans still in the House.

He said he told Straus on Wednesday morning that he didn’t agree with the speaker’s decision to not run for another term.

“But I respect his decision,” said Geren, who is close friends with Straus. “I’m sure the House will pick a good leader. The 150 members of the House have struggled through this many times before and they will agree on someone.

“I’m going to miss not serving with Joe,” he said. “I was shocked. But everybody has their lifespan down here and when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.”

The only thing he knows about the next speaker is that it won’t be him.

“I’m not going to run for speaker,” Geren said. “That’s for somebody younger and with more energy than I’ve got.”

This story was originally published October 25, 2017 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Is Fort Worth’s Charlie Geren the last man standing?."