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State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, has served in the Texas Senate for 15 years. (Courtesy photo | Texas House)<\/p>\n
Birdwell represents Senate District 22, which includes 10 counties and parts of Tarrant and Ellis counties. He ranks sixth in seniority in the 31-member Senate. Hancock, who joined the Senate in 2013, was eighth when he left the District 9 seat, fully encompassed within Tarrant County, on June 19.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday I inform you of my decision not to seek reelection for another term as your state senator,\u201d Birdwell said in an announcement to his more than 900,000 constituents. \u201cAt my swearing-in ceremony in Hillsboro after winning the 2010 special election, I made clear I was not elected to a position of authority over the citizens of District 22, but rather elected to a position subordinate to them so that I could steward their seat in the state Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Birdwell, a former military officer who recovered from severe burns he suffered during the 9\/11 hijacked airliner attack on the Pentagon, entered the Senate after a special election in 2010 and rose to become a top-ranking member.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He called his Senate service \u201cthe high honor of my life, on par with commanding United States soldiers, to serve my fellow Texans for over 15 years.\u201d His retirement becomes effective at the end of his current term in January 2027.<\/p>\n
Cook, a former Mansfield mayor who made an unsuccessful bid to become House speaker at the start of the just-ended regular legislative session, praised Birdwell for \u201ca lifetime of devotion to public service\u201d and said the retiring senator leaves \u201cenormous shoes to fill.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cook entered the House in 2021 and is serving his third term representing District 96, which includes Arlington, Burleson, Crowley, Fort Worth, Kennedale, Rendon and Mansfield.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the years, we\u2019ve faced a wave of growth and change, bringing both opportunities and challenges that continue to impact our way of life. These realities don\u2019t stop at district lines,\u201d he said in his announcement. \u201cThey affect communities across SD 22 in much the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am stepping forward because these challenges require experience, follow-through, and the time necessary to commit fully to the work ahead,\u201d he said. While we\u2019ve accomplished a great deal, there\u2019s more work to be done! I look forward to hitting the campaign trail to earn the support of the people of Texas Senate District 22.\u201d<\/p>\n
The declarations by Birdwell and Cook were the latest signs of political musical chairs as the mid-term 2026 election season draws closer. Two other high-profile Republican senators \u2014 Joan Huffman of Houston and Mayes Middleton of Galveston \u2014 will face each other as they run for attorney general, an office held by U.S. Senate hopeful Ken Paxton. Former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Aaron Reitz is also running for Paxton\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s going to be some shuffling around, and we\u2019re seeing that from some of the statewide offices down,\u201d says Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. \u201cAll it takes is a couple of vacancies, and the dominoes start falling.\u201d<\/p>\n
In announcing his retirement, Birdwell spotlighted a legacy that he said included strong stands against abortion, protecting religious liberty, combating what he called the woke agenda, providing historic property relief and preventing \u201csignificant amounts of bad legislation from reaching the Senate floor.\u2019\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
He chairs two committees: border security, which puts him in charge of the hot-button immigration issue, and natural resources. He also serves on four other committees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the spring 2025 session, he was the architect of a proposed constitutional amendment that voters will consider on the November ballot that will only allow U.S. citizens to vote in elections.<\/p>\n
Dave Montgomery is an Austin-based freelance reporter for the Fort Worth Report.<\/p>\n
The Fort Worth Report\u2019s Texas legislative coverage is supported by Kelly Hart<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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