Congressman Joe Barton, hit with 'sexting' revelation, bows out of 2018 race

Just weeks after announcing that he would seek an 18th term in Congress, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, apologized after a photo showing him naked was circulated online. "I am sorry that I let my constituents down," he said in a statement Wednesday. less Just weeks after announcing that he would seek an 18th term in Congress, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, apologized after a photo showing him naked was circulated online. "I am sorry that I let my constituents down," ... more Photo: TODD HEISLER, STF Photo: TODD HEISLER, STF Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Congressman Joe Barton, hit with 'sexting' revelation, bows out of 2018 race 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

WASHINGTON – Embattled Texas Congressman Joe Barton, the longest-serving member of the Texas delegation, announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection in 2018, following recent revelations of a nude photo and sexually suggestive messages that appeared on the Internet.

The Ennis Republican's decision came as a growing number of Texas GOP lawmakers and party officials called on him to resign or cancel his reelection plans for a seat he has held since 1985, making him the "dean" of the Texas delegation.

In a statement, Barton, 68, made no reference to the "sexting" scandal that has enveloped him since last week, saying only that "it is time to step aside and let there be a new voice."

Barton faced considerable pressure to bow out in recent days, at least in Texas, if not in Washington.

"It's a decision that recognized the obvious: Please spare us any further details of your past," said Houston state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, chairman of the state Senate Republican Caucus, who along with other prominent Republicans had called on Barton to resign.

"I don't think Texans want to know any more about Joe Barton's past. It's time to move on."

In his statement, Barton sought to emphasize his fidelity to Texas.

"As a young Congressman, my slogan was 'listening to you in Texas, working for you in Washington.'" Barton said. "For me that was never just a saying, but a commitment – a way of life."

It was the twice-divorced congressman's private lifestyle, however, that proved his undoing.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ellis County Republican Party Chairman Randy Bellomy said the latest revelations about Barton had "deeply grieved and embarrassed" his constituents.

"His lifestyle is inconsistent with Republican ideals, and he has brought disgrace not only to Ellis County and the 6th Congressional District, but also to the people of Texas and this great nation," Bellomy said.

Bellomy's declaration came on the same day that GOP State Sen. Konni Burton, whose Dallas area district overlaps with Barton's, issued a statement calling on Barton not to seek re-election "so that Tarrant County can move forward in making sure we send a strong conservative to Congress from District 6."

Those statements came a day after Tarrant County GOP Chairman Tim O'Brien called on Barton to resign. "All elected officials should be role models," O'Hare said. "They should be held to a very high standard. Joe Barton's conduct falls well below that standard."

While there were no public calls in Washington for Barton to bow out, Barton met with constituents in recent days and polled his district to assess the public relations damage – and his prospects of surviving a March 6 GOP primary challenge in his Republican-leaning district.

Reaction in Washington to Barton's decision was muted. "I don't have any comment on the circumstances," said Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, "but I do respect his decision."

With the filing deadline coming up on Dec. 11, speculation had been rampant about Barton's next move. Several Republicans in the district have been considering primary challenges, and at least one has already jumped in.

Jake Ellzey, a retired Naval combat pilot and a member of the Texas Veterans Commission, who filed paperwork Tuesday with the Republican Party of Texas.

Burton also said Wednesday that "many" Republicans are discussing Tarrant County Tax Assessor Collector Ron Wright, who confirmed on Facebook Thursday he is running. "Ron is a man of great character and integrity and I want to make it clear that I am one hundred percent behind him if he decides to do so," she said.

Barton announced his re-election campaign last month, before the nude photo appeared on social media.

Several Democrats are also vying for the seat, which is generally regarded as a safe Republican seat.

In a statement Thursday, Texas Democratic Party Executive Director Crystal Perkins said that Texans of the 6th congressional district will have a "real choice" in both the Democratic Primary and the general election in 2018.

"Serving in elected office is one of the highest honors bestowed on a citizen," Perkins said. "Texans are right to believe that public servants (on both sides of the aisle) should be held to the highest moral and ethical standard."

Barton's problems began when a frontal nude photo of him, his genitals blurred out, started making the rounds on muckraking web sites and Twitter last week. Barton almost immediately confirmed the authenticity of the photo, apologized, and explained its origin as part of a lapse of judgment during one of a number of extramarital affairs he had before his second divorce was finalized in 2015.

The Washington Post also reported at the time that Barton told a woman that he would contact U.S. Capitol Police if explicit photographs of him from their relationship were made public. The District of Columbia, like Texas and many other states, has a "revenge porn" law against posting sexual explicit pictures of people without their consent.

In a brief encounter with Capitol Hill reporters Wednesday, Barton suggested that he could not discuss his situation because it us under investigation.

The U.S. Capitol Police did not respond to several Chronicle requests for comment. The FBI said it cannot confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.

So far, it is not publicly known how the photo turned up on the Internet. In a statement after the photo first surfaced last week, Barton admitted he had "sexual relationships with other mature adult women" while he was separated from his second wife.

As Barton fought for his political life, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Wednesday that another woman has shared a series of private messages — some with sexual overtones — she exchanged with Barton. The messages to the Arlington woman, identified as GOP activist Kelly Canon, included a mix of politics and questions about whether she was "wearing a tank top only ... and no panties."

Canon also posted a message to Barton on Facebook, saying, "Joe, DO NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION. Serve out your term. Retire."

In the end, that is exactly what Barton decided to do. As he did so on Thursday, a third woman came forward, telling radio station WBAP that she had an affair with Barton.

Barton is not the first member of Congress to be laid low by a sexting scandal. In 2011, New York Democrat Anthony Weiner resigned from Congress after the first of several incidents involving sexually explicit photographs of himself via his public Twitter account.

Weiner subsequently faced more serious federal charges of transferring obscene materials to a minor in connection with allegations he had engaged in sexting with a 15-year-old girl. He began serving a 21-month sentence in early November.

Barton's defenders have emphasized that his transgressions involved consensual relationships with adult women in their 60s and that there was no hint of illegality – unless he was the victim of a case of "revenge porn."

His announcement Thursday steered clear of the scandal, and focused instead on his longevity in Congress, recalling 20,000 votes over 33 years in office:

"I am very proud of my public record and the many accomplishments of my office. It has been a tremendous honor to represent the 6th District of Texas for over three decades, but now it is time to step aside and let there be a new voice."

Barton's exit means all four of the longest serving members of Congress from Texas are calling it quits. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, and Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, announced earlier they will retired in 2018. Long-time Houston Democrat Gene Green announced earlier this month he won't seek re-election.

Others in the delegation also are heading for the exits. Dallas Republican Jeb Hensarling and Atascocita Republican Ted Poe have also announced they won't seek re-election. U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, is also leaving as he seeks to run for the U.S. Senate against Texas Republican Ted Cruz.

A former oil and gas consultant, Barton has served in Congress since the Reagan era, rising at his peak to become chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee, where he made a name for himself as a champion of the fossil fuels industry and a skeptic of human-caused global warming.

Term limited from the position under former House Speaker John Boehner, a decision he bitterly resented, Barton sought unsuccessfully to reclaim the committee gavel again last year.

Barton, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, retains a low-level leadership position as a member of the GOP whip operation. Though he is listed as ninth in seniority in the House, his new status as a lame duck in Congress remains to be seen.

The Office of House Speaker Paul Ryan declined comment on Barton's decision not to run for re-election.

- Mike Ward contributed to this report from Austin