Tarrant County Sen. Jane Nelson will not seek reelection to Texas Senate in 2022
Longtime Texas Sen. Jane Nelson, a Flower Mound Republican, will not seek reelection in 2022.
The Tarrant County lawmaker, who has served as a senator for nearly three decades, announced Monday she wouldn’t again run for the Senate District 12 seat. She is currently in her 10th term after being elected to the chamber in 1992.
“It has been a great honor to represent our community in the Texas Senate,” Nelson said in a statement. “I promised to listen, work hard, and deliver results and have strived to fulfill that pledge. Our accomplishments have improved the lives of Texans, which makes me proud. I love my constituents, my staff, and my colleagues in the Senate and owe them, as well as my family, a debt of gratitude. As this chapter closes, you can count on me to keep working to build a better Texas.”
Asked about why she wasn’t running again, Nelson told the Star-Telegram the time is simply right. Nelson recalled a conversation with a former senator she worked with who told her, “you’ll know when the time comes.”
“There’s no reason other than I just think it’s time to ... hand the torch over to somebody else. I’ve done this for 30 years almost now, and I feel really good about what we were able to accomplish last session,” she said. “ ... There’s nothing to read into this. It’s just the right time.”
Senate District 12 includes most of Denton County and part of Tarrant County.
Nelson is the longest-serving Republican in the chamber and was the 10th woman and the third Republican woman elected to the Senate, according to her office. Nelson currently chairs the Finance committee, the group of lawmakers tasked with crafting the state budget. She’s overseen four budget cycles in the role.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he’s asked Nelson to stay on as chair of the Finance committee through the end of 2021.
“It is hard to overestimate the positive impact of Jane’s service to the state of Texas and I know Texans are grateful,” Patrick said in a statement. “She is the finest Finance Chair in Texas history. She will be missed by me and the 30 other Senators on so many levels. She was a mentor to me and made me a better Senator and Lt. Governor. She is my friend.”
Before her election to the Texas Legislature, Nelson served two terms on the State Board of Education. Nelson reflected on her work as a lawmaker in a constituent letter shared on her website.
“We passed over $8 billion in tax relief. We made Texas a more hospitable place to do business,” the note reads. “We established the Cancer Research & Prevention Institute of Texas, created peer mental health programs for our veterans and law enforcement, dedicated lottery proceeds to education and passed over 30 bills to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.”
Some of Nelson’s colleagues in the Texas Legislature weighed in on her announcement on social media. Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Chris Turner of Grand Prairie thanked her for her work for North Texas in a tweet.
“Senator Nelson, you are the hardest working person I have ever met,” Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, a Southlake Republican, said in a tweet. “You helped lead Texas to where it is today, and I’ve always appreciated your selfless service and integrity. Good luck on your next next thing!”
State Rep. Matt Krause, a Fort Worth Republican, called her “one of the most consequential legislators of this century.”
“She has done great things for Texas — especially as the Chair for Senate Finance,” Krause said in a tweet. “The next Senator from SD 12 will have legendary shoes to fill.”
One possible candidate could be Rep. Jared Patterson, a Frisco Republican.
“As Senator Nelson looks to pass the torch, we must focus on having a proven conservative fighter represent North Texas,” he said in a tweet. “I ask for your prayers over the coming days and weeks as I strongly consider running for the Texas Senate.”
Nelson said she’s been asked whether she’s picked her successor.
“I said, ‘No, I’m gonna have my constituents pick my successor,’” she said. “There are so many capable people out there, and I just made my announcement today. I think surprised a lot of people.”
It’s not clear what’s next for Nelson after her term ends. She didn’t express plans to seek another office. In the immediate, there are at least two special sessions she’ll be a part of with the first starting July 8.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do next,” she said. “I’m not gonna sit in a rocking chair and knit. I feel like there’s some other way that I can make a difference. I’m not sure what that is right now.”
This story was originally published July 5, 2021 at 1:36 PM.
