WASHINGTON — Rep. Marc Veasey, a 7th-term Democrat from North Texas, announced Monday that he would not seek reelection, instead running for Tarrant County judge.

“This decision is about where I can best serve the people of Tarrant County. It’s about strengthening our party, opening the door for new leadership, and ensuring that our community continues to thrive,” Veasey said in a statement Monday night.

Veasey has been involved in county Democratic politics for decades, going back to his work as a district aide to Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas. Veasey studied mass communications at Texas Wesleyan University. Before joining Frost’s team, he had a few different jobs, including a stint on the sports desk of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

His decision not to seek reelection is among the fallout of the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Texas to proceed with new GOP-favorable congressional district maps for 2026, as well as the announcement by Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett that she would run for Senate in Texas.

“Tarrant County is at a crossroads. I’ve seen firsthand how racially gerrymandered maps were designed to weaken the power of Black and Latino voters in North Texas — communities I have spent my entire career fighting for,” Veasey said in his statement. “The people here deserve leadership grounded in truth, service, and respect — not division, extremism, and political stunts.”

Veasey represents the current version of Texas’ 33rd District, but his Fort Worth base was drawn out of the seat under the new map. Former Rep. Colin Allred dropped out of the Democratic primary for Senate to run for the reconfigured 33rd District seat just ahead of Crockett’s announcement. Allred’s move tees up a likely Democratic primary against Rep. Julie Elizabeth Johnson.

“Texans deserve fair maps — these racist, gerrymandered maps have no home in our state. Make no mistake: I’m running for Congress in CD-33 to continue delivering results for the people of North Texas,” Johnson said Monday in post on X.

--------

—Daniela Altimari contributed to this report.

©2025 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.