Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), the fourth-longest serving member of the Texas Senate, will not seek reelection in 2022.
Nelson, 69, represents one of the geographically smaller senate districts encompassing the northern part of Fort Worth and the southern part of Denton County.
She has served in the senate since 1993. She chaired the Senate Finance Committee for the past four sessions and the Sunset Advisory Commission from 2003-2006 and 2015-2016.
In a letter to her constituents, Nelson wrote about her accomplishments but did not give a reason for her decision to retire: “With your support, we accomplished many things. We passed over $8 billion in tax relief. We made Texas a more hospitable place to do business.”
“We established the Cancer Research & Prevention Institute of Texas, created peer mental health programs for our veterans and law enforcement, dedicated lottery proceeds to education and passed over 30 bills to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.”
Nelson was the 10th woman in Texas history to serve in the state senate. Prior to joining the senate she served two terms on the State Board of Education and was a teacher, businesswoman, and grassroots activist.
