Longtime Texas lawmaker resigns amid affair scandal

WASHINGTON—Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, the longest-serving member of the Texas congressional delegation, announced Thursday he will not seek reelection next year. The 68-year-old has faced pressure in recent weeks to step down after someone posted to social media lewd photos and text messages between Barton and a woman who was not his wife. Barton admitted to the extramarital relationship in 2015, when he was separated from his second wife, and apologized for not using better discretion. Although no women have accused him of sexual harassment, Barton told The Dallas Morning News on Thursday he’s ready to step down. “I’ve always listened to people in Texas and worked for them in Washington, and I’ve been listening to a lot of people the last week in Texas,” Barton said. “There are enough people who lost faith in me that it’s time to step aside and let there be a new voice for the 6th District in Washington, so I am not going to run for reelection.” Texas first elected Barton to serve in Congress in 1984.