Belton, Tx (FOX 44) – Long-time Bell County District Attorney Henry Garza has announced he will not be seeking a seventh term in office.

In a statement released on Thursday morning, Garza noted that December will mark the 40th year he has worked for the citizens of Bell County as a prosecutor, and that he is now in his 23rd year as District Attorney. He has been elected to the post six times.

In making the announcement, Garza said he wanted to voice thanks for the support and encouragement given him by the citizens of Bell County, and to say it has truly been an honor and a privilege to serve them.

“I have been blessed by having a dedicated staff that has shared the passion that I have to take care of those victims of crime and hopefully provide them with justice for what has happened to them. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the members of my office who have worked with steadfast tenacity to see that justice is done,” he said.

“To our law enforcement partners, I extend my thanks for the hard work and dedication of service to help others in a time of need,” he further said. “Thank you for your constant vigilance to keep us safe.

“To my family, and especially my wife Cheryl, for all the missed vacations, ball games, family events that we missed to allow me to serve the victims of our county, I sincerely thank you.

“I have been blessed and grateful for representing our county as your District Attorney. On behalf of my wife and I, we would like to extend our gratitude and thanks to everyone that has been a part of our lives for these many years.”