Tea party hero Allen West is leaving Florida to take over a Texas think tank.
The one-term congressman announced Friday he will become CEO of the Dallas-based National Center for Policy Analysis in January.
West says he's "humbled and honored" by his appointment.
He lost his bid for a second term in Congress two years ago after a close race with Democrat Patrick Murphy that resulted in court fights and recounts.
West is well-known nationally among conservative Republicans, some of whom have lobbied for him to run for president. He was a career Army officer until firing a gun near an Iraqi prisoner's head and threatening to kill him, an incident that resulted in him being relieved of his command.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
