Representative Jim Jackson (R-Carrollton) announced Wednesday he will retire from the Texas House when his term expires after nearly 38 years in elected office.
The 72-year-old has served in the Legislature for seven years, and was a Dallas County commissioner from 1974 until 2004, when he was elected to his first term as State Representative for District 115.
“I’ve been in elected office for 38 years—the majority of my life,” the 72-year-old said from his Carrollton office Wednesday afternoon.
Jackson doesn’t have any big post-retirement plans. His family has a trip to the Bahamas later this year, and he’s got a few legislative trips to take before his term expires in 15 months.
“We’re just excited to return to private lives,” Jackson said.
The congressman says he had a few people in mind on who could replace him, and he called those people this morning; but he does not want to disclose who those people were, or make any formal endorsements just yet.
“If I thought they would have interest, I called them,” he said during a phone interview.
Politics
Politics from around the world.
When asked what legacy he hopes to take away from him, Rep. Jackson didn’t mention anything specific.
“The biggest thing I leave is a legacy of good, honest government,” he said.
