KERRVILLE, TEXAS - JULY 11: Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) (3rd L) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) (2nd L) join President Donald Trump, state and local leaders, first responders and victims of last week's flash flooding during a meeting at the Hill Country Youth Even …
AUSTIN - U.S. Rep. Chip Roy announced Thursday he will leave Congress to run for Texas attorney general, citing a desire to "come home" and fight for the state.
Roy, who represents Texas' 21st Congressional District, said he was inspired to return to Texas after seeing how residents united during recent flooding in the Hill Country. He said his experience as a federal prosecutor, first assistant attorney general, and his four terms in Congress have prepared him for the role.
District 21 is the area between Austin and San Antonio, and past Kerrville going west.
What they're saying:
"It has been my honor to represent the 21st Congressional District of Texas — the best part of the best state in the greatest country in the history of the world," Roy said in a news release. "But representatives should not be permanent. And my experience watching Texans unite in response to the devastating Hill Country floods made clear that I want to come home."
Roy has been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and has served as policy director for the House Freedom Caucus. In Congress, he has focused on border security, defending the Second Amendment and reducing the size of the federal government. He authored legislation to classify drug cartels as terror organizations and ban congressional stock trading.
Texas is "under assault"
Roy said Texas is "under assault" from "open-border politicians, radical leftists, and faceless foreign corporations." He pledged to fight for what he called "God-given rights," families and the state's future.
He criticized "Soros-funded judges and DA's" for what he said was putting criminals on the streets and promised to end "judge-made mandates that Texans pay for illegals in our public schools." He also mentioned ending communities built on Sharia law.
About U.S. Rep. Chip Roy:
Before his time in Congress, Roy served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Texas and as first assistant attorney general under Ken Paxton. He also served as chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz and senior counsel to former Gov. Rick Perry.
Roy, a native of Dripping Springs, earned his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He and his wife, Carrah, have a son and a daughter. His ancestors settled in the area in 1853.
He comes from a family with a history of public service, including a Texas Ranger and a police chief.
"Texas has a long and proud tradition of rising to defend our homes, our freedom, and our communities," Roy said. "I'm running for Attorney General to carry on that legacy."
The Source: Information in this article is from a news release from U.S. Rep. Chip Roy.