Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela says he will not run for reelection

Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela of Texas, who is serving his fifth term in Congress, confirmed to CNN Monday he will not run for reelection for his House seat in 2022.

“It has been an honor to represent the citizens of the 34th District of Texas in the United States House of Representatives for the last eight years,” Vela told CNN in a statement. “I will not be seeking reelection to the House of Representatives in 2022.”

Vela added, “It is now time to allow other residents of South Texas the opportunity to fulfill this wonderful privilege for which I will be forever grateful.”

Vela is also vice chairman at the Democratic National Committee.

With his statement Monday, Vela becomes the first Texas Democrat to announce his departure from the House ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. His announcement follows Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona’s announcement earlier this month that she will not seek reelection next year.

Axios reported the development first.

Vela represents a district near the US-Mexico border and won his district by 55% in November. However, Trump performed better than expected with Hispanic voters in the Rio Grande Valley, making districts including Vela’s and a handful of others in the region key pickup targets for Republicans.

Vela is a close ally of President Joe Biden and was in talks for a Biden administration position.

While Vela ultimately did not end up in the Biden administration, his wife, Rose Vela, works in the Biden administration as director of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.