GOP Rep. Troy Nehls won’t seek reelection to Congress

U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, announced on Saturday that he won’t seek reelection to his Houston-area district, becoming the sixth Republican in Texas’ congressional delegation to announce his retirement this cycle.

Since 2021, Nehls has represented the 22nd Congressional District, centered in Fort Bend and Brazoria counties. The heavily Republican district also includes parts of Harris, Matagorda and Wharton counties.

Nehls, a fervent supporter of President Donald Trump, said in a news release that he called Trump before making his decision to “personally let him know of my plans.”

“President Trump has always been a strong ally for our district and a true friend, and I wanted him to hear it from me first,” he said.

Nehls’ announcement comes nine days before the Dec. 8 deadline for candidates to file for a place on the 2026 primary ballot, leaving a short window for potential successors to jump into the race. It also comes as the makeup of Texas’ 38 congressional districts remains in limbo, after a panel of federal judges blocked the state from using a new map gerrymandered to give Republicans up to five additional seats.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on Texas’ request to use the new map while the court battle over its legality plays out. Under the new lines, Nehls’ 22nd District would retain about two-thirds of its current residents, dropping Matagorda and Wharton counties and adding more residents from Harris County.

Nehls joins a list of five other Republicans from Texas who had already announced they won’t seek reelection in 2026. Two — U.S. Reps. Wesley Hunt of Houston and Chip Roy of Austin — are seeking other offices, while the other three — U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington of Lubbock, Morgan Luttrell of Magnolia and Michael McCaul of Austin — have yet to announce future plans.

Earlier this month, Nehls joined with the rest of Texas’ GOP congressional delegation in voting to require the Justice Department to publish its files related to the deceased sex offender Jeffery Epstein, days after he advocated for concealing them. The change came shortly after Trump encouraged Republicans to vote to release the files.

“If Donald Trump says ‘Jump three feet high and scratch your heads,’ we all jump three feet high and scratch our heads,” Nehls told reporters last November.

Before joining Congress, Nehls spent nearly 30 years in various law enforcement roles — including two terms as Fort Bend County sheriff — and served 21 years in the U.S. Army Reserve.

“Serving this country in the military, serving our community in law enforcement, and serving this district in Congress has been the honor of my life,” Nehls said. “Thank you for your trust, your friendship, and your prayers.”

Nehls serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, under which he chairs the Subcommittee on Aviation. He is also on subcommittees overseeing crime and federal government surveillance and highways and transit. He also was initially picked for the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, but did not ultimately serve on the panel.