Rep. Mike Conaway, a Midland Republican, Will Not Seek Re-election, Politico Reports

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Midland, will reportedly not seek re-election next year, according to Politico, which would make him the second Texas Republican in the last week to announce that they are exiting Congress ahead of the 2020 elections.Conaway's departure would be somewhat unexpected.The 71-year-old leads the House Agriculture Committee and took a star turn in 2017 leading the GOP's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. He's also a staunch conservative who would be all but a lock to win re-election in one of the most Republican districts in the country.Politico reported Conaway's impending decision late Tuesday, citing multiple GOP sources.A spokeswoman for the eight-term lawmaker declined to comment on Wednesday morning. But the Republican had already stirred the rumor mill by calling a news conference for Wednesday afternoon in Midland and not specifying why.  Continue reading...