The announcements by Sens. Jeff Flake and Bob Corker that they wouldn’t run for re-election stunned the political world. Two incumbents calculating that they either can’t win a GOP primary or didn’t have the stomach for a nasty battle happens very rarely.

And at the state level in Texas, longtime House Speaker Joe Straus said he won’t seek reelection.

What does it say about the political landscape when politicians known for having cooler heads aren’t interested in taking on the firebrands?

Jay Aiyer is an assistant professor at Texas Southern University’s School of Public Affairs.