Strama says this session is his last

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Rep. Mark Strama (D-Dist. 50) made public on his political blog that he plans to step down from serving in the Texas House after this legislative session ends.

Strama has represented District 50 for 10 years. He wrote that he is making the announcement now because "there are a bunch of really talented folks interested in running to replace me, and I want them to be able to start introducing themselves to voters without having to tap dance around me."

Strama makes the point that his decision to step down does not mean he is running for mayor of Austin, although he wrote that he has not yet decided and won't do so until the legislative session is over.

"The norm around here is that you don’t announce that you’re not coming back too early, because lame-duck status can reduce your effectiveness," he wrote.

The blog continues:

"Plus, I’ve noticed that I’m enjoying this session a lot more knowing that it’s my swan song in the Texas House - I’m enjoying my relationships with the members more, I’m enjoying studying the issues more, and I’m feeling a renewed sense of urgency to make progress on some issues I’ve been working on for several sessions.  The expectation is that members will take you less seriously when you’re a lame duck, but I have a sense that it may actually lead to a deepening of the friendships I’ve formed here, which has been one of the most personally gratifying parts of this entire experience.

"The floor of the Texas House has to be one of the 100 most interesting places in America.  In a space the size of a basketball court, you have 150 people who are, by definition, representative of 150 distinct geographic regions of Texas.  I remember being struck when I first got there how you could walk down the aisles of the Texas House and hear every single regional dialect from across the state (and a few from New York.)

"If the Texas House didn’t exist for the purpose of democratic self-government, it would need to exist for the purpose of sociological research into what happens when you assemble the most diverse cast of characters imaginable, place them in a small chamber every day for long hours over a five month period, and force them to talk about all the things your grandmother taught you not to talk about in polite company - politics, religion, even sex. All in the context of a reality TV environment in which each action everyone takes has the potential to get them voted off the island. People complain about how unproductive the political system can be; the miracle is that anything ever gets done at all."

Strama invites people to leave comments on the blog post, and thanked the citizens of HD 50 for the privilege of representing them.