Texas Veteran Senator Robert Nichols Will Not Seek Re-Election

Texas Sen. Robert Nichols said he will not seek re-election in 2026, bringing to a close two decades representing Senate District 3, which covers 18 counties in East and Southeast Texas. Nichols, 69, announced that he intends to complete his current term, which runs through Jan. 12, 2027. First elected in 2006, Nichols has chaired the Senate Transportation Committee and is the chamber’s longest-serving Republican. Before entering the Legislature he spent 8½ years on the Texas Transportation Commission under Governors George W. Bush and Rick Perry. Nichols’ planned exit adds to the turnover in the 31-member Senate and could make Sen. Brian Birdwell, first elected in 2010, the body's senior Republican if Birdwell remains in office. The open District 3 seat is expected to be contested in next year’s GOP primary in a region that leans heavily Republican.