Updated 6:25 p.m. Friday | Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Texas, announced Friday that he will retire from Congress at the end of this term.  

“I will finish my term for the people of my district when my term expires at the end of next year.  After that, I will pursue the possibility of serving as a distinguished visiting professor at a university, as a vice chancellor of a university system or working in the private sector,” Hinojosa said in a statement .  

Hinojosa, 75, was first elected to Congress in 1996, winning a five-way Democratic primary then easily defeating Republican Tom Haughey by 26 points. He won a rematch with Haughey two years later by 17 points and has won comfortable since then.  

Before Congress, Hinojosa served on the local school board and the Texas Board of Education before being elected to the House.  

He served as president and chief financial officer of the family-owned H&H Foods for 20 years. In late 2010, Hinojosa personally guaranteed a loan to the business, which was “forced into bankruptcy due to the recent economic downturn and financial market meltdowns,” he said in a statement at the time.  

As a result, he now ranks among the poorest members of Congress in terms of net worth. He ranked sixth on Roll Call’s annual Wealth of Congress list of the 10 poorest members of Congress.  

Hinojosa’s most prominent role in Congress was as leader of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in 2013. He serves on the Education & the Workforce and Financial Services committees.  

He is the 14th House member to retire without seeking another office this cycle. Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., announced Thursday that he was retiring at the end of the 114th Congress, as did Wyoming Rep. Cynthia M. Lummis. For a full list, see the 
Roll Call Casualty List
. Hinojosa’s 15th District seat is rated Safe Democrat by the Rothenberg-Gonzales Political Report /Roll Call.  

Related:
Democrat Sam Farr to retire from Congress

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