Rep. Tony Tinderholt, voice of the insurgent far right GOP, to retire from the Texas House

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Rep. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington, a leading Republican hardliner in the Texas House who once ran for speaker, announced his retirement after six terms on Monday, the last day of this year’s session.

Surrounded by lawmakers of both parties, Tinderholt said he decided to retire knowing that there was a new generation of ultraconservative lawmakers in the House who would continue the movement he has helped lead for over a decade.

“I returned to this chamber with one goal: accomplishing as much conservative policy as possible, while humbly evaluating if it was time to go home and let others continue this vital fight for the conservative movement,” he said. “We’ve accomplished a lot in six sessions, but there’s still more work to be done.”

Tinderholt, a voice of the insurgent far-right faction of the Legislature who often disagreed with his more mainstream peers, acknowledged his colleagues from across the political spectrum in a tearful speech on the floor — while encouraging his hard-right colleagues to continue the fight.

“To my Democrat colleagues, I hope you know that I’ve always tried to treat you with the respect that you deserve as members of this body who are chosen by your districts to fight for the values you hold,” he said. “To the Republican colleagues that I’ve oftentimes disagreed with, please know that my absence next session will not remove in any way the pressure to deliver real conservative results to the people of Texas. And though we’ve disagreed at times, I’ve been truly honored to serve alongside each of you.”

His departure comes after last year’s earthquake election season. Those primaries ushered in over a dozen more conservative Republicans and significantly grew the ranks of the far-right faction from last session, when Tinderholt ran for speaker on a hardline platform.

“Texas is in good hands with each of you, and it's time for me to step aside,” he said.

Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, alluded to their evolving influence in the 150-member body with a grin: “The first vote I ever took in this chamber was to vote for you to be speaker, and we were only 73 votes away. We were so close.”

Tinderholt, now 54, joined the Legislature after more than two decades serving in the military, where he earned a Bronze Star and the Combat Action Badge after taking part in counter drug missions in the Air Force and volunteering in combat zones with the Army after the Sept. 11 attacks.

“Arguably,” he said to laughs, “my 12 years here has been one of the more difficult combat zones I’ve had the pleasure of serving in.”

He attributed his decision to retire to a desire to spend more time with his family, who surrounded him after his speech.

“To my wonderful wife, Bethany, and my children, Tyler and Brenan,” he said, choking up, “I’m coming home.”

“I get to be a dad,” he said. “I don’t have to miss practices and dances. I’m going to be able to do prayer at dinner with you, instead on FaceTime.”

Colleagues in both parties who spoke after his speech emphasized his integrity, respect for his peers and the influence he developed within his caucus.

“It’s not a matter of where we are when we come, it’s a matter of whether or not we grow,” Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston and a veteran lawmaker, said. “I’ve never seen a legislator grow as much as Tony.”

Tinderholt recalled one of the earliest lessons he learned in the House, when Dutton helped him hash out the details of a technical challenge he wanted to raise to a bill the Houston Democrat supported. When he asked Dutton why he was helping him, Tinderholt recalled Dutton saying that, “we’re colleagues, and I want you to look smart when you go up there and I beat you.”

“The lesson is we are colleagues and we are family,” Tinderholt said, adding that he had tried to impress that lesson onto freshmen Republicans over each session. “We’re going to fight, and we’re going to argue, and then we’re going to go into the members’ lounge, and we’re going to make up.”

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