Republican State Rep. Matt Krause announced Tuesday he is ending his run for Texas attorney general and is instead launching a campaign for Tarrant County district attorney.
Krause said the decision was made after the incumbent, Sharon Wilson, "unexpectedly" announced her retirement earlier this month.
"Once CDA Sharen Wilson made an unexpected announcement that she would not seek another term, I had several folks reach out to me about switching from the Attorney General race to the District Attorney race," Krause wrote on social media. "The family and I prayed a lot about it, and we are excited about this opportunity.
Krause had announced in September that he would challenge Ken Paxton, his longtime ally, for the Texas attorney general seat. Kraused faced a crowded field vying for the nomination, including Republicans George P. Bush and Eva Guzman, a former Texas Supreme Court justice. U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler) made his announcement for the race Monday night.
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Krause recentlyΒ launched an inquiry into school districtsΒ to figure out which types of books students have access to, including an 850 book list of novels about racism and sexuality. He asked districts to identify which books students are able to access for reading but he has not commented on what he plans to do with that information.