Texas Democrat Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson has announced her retirement.  

According to The Hill, Johnson will retire after finishing her current term, making her the latest Democrat to announce plans not to seek reelection.  

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Johnson served close to 30 years in Congress. She’s no stranger to breaking barriers in Texas, where she was the first Black woman elected to public office in Dallas, the first Black person to represent Dallas in the Texas state Senate since Reconstruction and the first registered nurse voted into Congress.  

She was also the first Black woman to lead the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. “I’ve worked hard. It’s not just a title – it’s a job,” Johnson said. “It’s been some rugged times, but I have not acknowledged it. I was determined that I wouldn’t just be a title. I wanted to deliver. I thought about the district and all the needs that it had.”  

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement about Johnson’s plan to retire, celebrating her work in Congress.  

“Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has been a dedicated and highly effective leader on behalf of Dallas area families and the entire nation for her thirty years in the Congress and nearly 50 years in public service,” Pelosi wrote. “She has used her gavel as the powerful Chair of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee to advance great progress for America, and her leadership and friendship will be missed by many in the Congress.”  

Johnson is one of the various Democrats currently serving who will not seek reelection, including Reps. Jackie Speier of California, Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania, David Prince of North Carolina, John Yarmuth of Kentucky and Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont.  

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