Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, the ranking minority member of the Senate Commerce Committee, will not seek re-election in 2012.

Hutchison made the announcement late Thursday. She was elected to the Senate in 1993, the first woman sent to the Senate by Texas voters. Hutchison, 67, wanted to resign from the Senate last year after announcing what would turn out to be an unsuccessful primary challenge to Texas Gov. Rick Perry. However, she was persuaded by Senate Republican leaders to serve out the remaining two years of her third term.

The Commerce Committee is chaired by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.).