Politics & Government
Republican Field Grows With 3 Looking To Replace Ted Poe In 2018
Ted Poe, who has served 12 years in Congress, announced his retirement in November.

HOUSTON, TX — Ted Poe’s announcement in November that he was retiring from politics and would not seek another term for the District 2 Congressional seat has led to a crowded field of candidates seeking the Republican nomination in the March Primary.
Poe, who has served 12 years in congress, announced on Nov. 8 that he was retiring to spend more time with his family.
The next day, State Rep. Kevin Roberts (R-Spring) announced his candidacy for Poe’s seat.
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Since then, local businessman Rick Walker and Jonny Havens have both also announced their congressional candidacy for the Republican nomination.
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On his webpage, Walker shares his Hurricane Harvey experience and the efforts he and his family are enduring as they rebuild their home, as well as their efforts to help neighbors who are also suffering.
Walker vows to lean on those experiences to help taxpayers, and his background as a business leader, to be a voice against big government and to continue the fight for greater tax reform, job creation and religious freedom.
Havens, who announced his candidacy on Monday, is a veteran who served two tours in Iraq, and was medically retired from the U.S. Army after his second tour.
Havens is currently serving as the chairman of the Lone Star Veterans Association, and is also a practicing attorney with Baker Botts LLP in Houston, where he was an active member of the firm's pro bono program where he advocated for churches' and individuals' religious freedom.
The Republican Primary takes place on March 6, 2018.
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