Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis) won't seek re-election, according to a statement released by his office late Thursday morning.
The news comes after a nude photo of the 68-year-old congressman was circulated online. A week after Barton apologized to the public for the image, a woman came forward to share messages of a sexual nature that were written to her by the congressman during his second marriage.
Barton was first elected to the House in 1984. Earlier in the month, Barton said he planned to seek an 18th term. However, Republicans from across North Texas called for congressman to not seek re-election before his Thursday announcement.
"As a young Congressman, my slogan was 'listening to you in Texas, working for you in Washington,'" Barton said in the statement. "For me that was never just a saying, but a commitment - a way of life. Over the last 30 years, I have held thousands of public meetings and visited with so many great people in Texas on issues important to them. In Washington, I have voted over 20,000 times on the House Floor to hopefully make life better for the people in the 6th District."
More details to come