Republican James White resigns from Texas House early to take leadership job at Texas Funeral Services Commission

State Rep. James White, R-Hillister, has resigned his seat in the Texas House and taken a position as executive director of the Texas Funeral Services Commission. (Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune)

State Rep. James White, a conservative Republican who represented his East Texas district for 11 years, has resigned his seat in the Texas House to take a job as executive director of the Texas Funeral Services Commission.

White, a Black Republican who first won election to the Texas House during the Tea Party wave of 2010 by ousting a longtime Democrat, had already decided not to seek reelection to the chamber this year and instead opted for an unsuccessful primary challenge to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. White’s term was set to end in January when his successor would take office. But White left a few months early when he made his resignation official on Aug. 11.