Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) will retire at the end of his 17th term, the oil industry favorite announced Thursday afternoon, after the leak of salacious but consensual correspondence with a former sex partner.
Barton’s decision marks the downfall of a long-significant figure within the GOP caucus. The seat he’s held since 1985 is almost certain to stay in Republican hands, though candidates to replace him have only about two weeks to file paperwork to run next year.
Ba...