„But it would be a nasty campaign…“
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) has decided to step down from Congress, saying that enough people have “lost faith” in him after lewd messages exchanged during an extramarital affair were made public.
“I’ve always listened to people in Texas and worked for them in Washington, and I’ve been listening to a lot of people the last week in Texas,” Barton told The Dallas Morning News on Thursday.
Barton said weeks ago that he would seek re-election but apparently changed his mind after mounting pressure and backlash over his relationships.
„But it would be a nasty campaign, a difficult campaign for my family,” Barton said of a potential re-election effort.
One image in particular caught media attention: A naked selfie of Barton with the message: “I want u sooo bad. Right now.”
According to Barton, his 12-year-old son told him not to run. „Well, you’ve done a lot of good. You have a good record, and you don’t need to keep running to prove that,” he reportedly said.
Barton previously apologized and maintained that his relationships were consensual. “I am sorry I did not use better judgment during those days. I am sorry that I let my constituents down,” he said.
