Congressman Troy Nehls Makes Abrupt Decision not to Seek Reelection

Republican U.S. Representative Troy Nehls announced on November 29, 2025, that he will not seek reelection after his current term. He said that after conversations with his wife and daughters over Thanksgiving he decided it was time to focus on his family and return home after this Congress. He also informed Donald Trump of his decision before releasing it publicly.

Congressman Troy Nehls’ Official Portrait, 2023

Nehls was first elected in 2020 and began serving in Congress on January 3, 2021. By the time his term ends in January 2027 he will have served three full terms which is a total of six years representing Texas’s 22nd Congressional District. His background before Congress includes decades in law enforcement including serving as sheriff of Fort Bend County along with twenty one years in the U.S. Army Reserve.

His retirement immediately shifted attention to the Republican primary for the now open seat. The filing deadline for the 2026 ballot is only one week away on December 8. That timeline has created a fast moving environment for anyone considering a run.

The most prominent name to step forward is Trever Nehls who is Troy Nehls’s identical twin brother and a former Fort Bend County constable. Trever Nehls entered the race within hours of the announcement and he has already secured his brother’s endorsement. He has positioned himself as someone who will continue the same conservative approach and maintain close ties to Trump.

Another Republican who has been mentioned is Rebecca Clark a geophysicist who has signaled interest in running. On the Democratic side Marquette Greene Scott who ran for the seat in 2024 is expected to run again.

Texas’s 22nd District which includes parts of Fort Bend Brazoria Harris Wharton and Matagorda counties remains a reliably Republican district which means the primary is likely to determine the next representative. With the deadline approaching quickly more candidates could still emerge but anyone entering the race now will have very little time to organize.

Nehls’s departure marks the end of a relatively short but visible tenure in Congress. The next week will determine who steps forward to compete for one of the most watched Republican seats opening in Texas in 2026.