The end of an era in Bell County politics came suddenly Thursday.

Just a few months shy of 18 years as District 55 representative, Dianne White Delisi, R-Temple, resigned from the Texas House of Representatives.

Ms. Delisi said by telephone from Austin that she expected to soon accept an appointment. The new position would not be related to the governor’s office, she said.

“I have been for the last several years very interested in taking another position,” Ms. Delisi said, “and this appointment does not allow me to hold my position (as District 55 representative).”

Ms. Delisi would not elaborate.

She announced last September that she would not seek re-election to House District 55.

The governor’s office said Gov. Rick Perry plans to call a special election for the position, which would be held concurrent with the general election in November.

The winner of the special election would serve from the time the election is certified until January 2009, when the winner of the general election is sworn in. If the same candidate wins both elections, he would gain some seniority in the House, which could be a factor in committee selections.

Candidates on the ballot for the general election are Sam Murphey, the Democratic Party nominee; Ralph Sheffield, the Republican Party nominee; and Libertarian Party nominee Chris Lane.

Ms. Delisi reported that she had met with the governor’s office and Speaker Tom Craddick’s office to make arrangements to keep her Capitol and district offices open until her successor takes office after the election is certified.

Alicia Winegar will handle the Temple office and Phil Fountain will man the Austin office.

“It’s going to be a fairly seamless system, and District 55 will continue to be represented,” Ms. Delisi said.

She added that she is grateful to the governor and speaker for helping make the arrangements to ensure the continuity of constituent services.

In a statement, Ms. Delisi said that “even though I announced my intent to retire more than a year ago, I am now resigning a few months before my term ends so that I can, in earnest, begin a new chapter in my life.

“I have been privileged to serve the good people of Bell County for 18 years,” she said. “I take from my time in public life a critical knowledge of the needs of our growing state, the friendship of so many, and a deep respect and love for Texas.”

Ms. Delisi chaired the House Committee on Public Health during the 2007 legislative session and served as a member of the Committee on Public Education and a member of the Medicaid Reform Legislative Oversight Committee.

During her terms in the House, she served 10 years on the Appropriations Committee, including four years as vice chair and a member of the budget-writing conference committee.

Ms. Delisi sponsored legislation involving education, health care, economic development and issues involving military personnel.

She was selected twice by Texas Monthly as one of the Top 10 Legislators.

During the 2007 session, Ms. Delisi served as either the author or sponsor of more than two dozen pieces of successful legislation covering topics ranging from Medicaid reform to border security.

Ms. Delisi’s health care legislation included the omnibus Medicaid reform bill, hospital-acquired infection reporting legislation, strengthening protections against Medicaid fraud and a package of measures designed to enhance the use of modern information technology within the health care system.

Other measures by Delisi in the past session included assisting military veterans and their families by extending college educational benefits to the children of disabled veterans whose injuries prevented them from returning to civilian employment.

She also addressed against identity theft in legislation targeting large-scale counterfeit government “document mills.”

Another measure involved creation of model teacher retention programs.

Ms. Delisi graduated from Temple High School, received a bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University, a master’s degree from the University of Colorado and a certificate of studies from the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest.

She has two children and five grandchildren.