Two Democrats, two Republicans running for Texas House speaker

(The Center Square) – Two Democrats and one Republican have announced they are running for speaker of the Texas House, vying to unseat the current speaker, state Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont.

After the Nov. 5 election, Republicans won many state and local races, including gaining two seats in the Texas House. In January, 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats will be sworn into the lower chamber; 76 votes are needed to become speaker.

Key issues propelling more than a dozen newly elected Republicans included their support for school choice legislation and opposition to the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton.

In 2023, the Texas legislature convened for a regular and four special legislative sessions, during which 21 House Republicans blocked a school choice bill. This year, many of them were replaced by newly elected Republicans vowing to pass a school choice bill. In the Texas Senate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has already announced that school choice is a top priority for the next legislative session, which begins in January.

In between special sessions, the legislature also convened to hold an impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton after 60 House Republicans, including Phelan, voted with most House Democrats to impeach him. Paxton was the first attorney general to be impeached in Texas history. He was acquitted by the Texas Senate largely along party lines.

Some House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton and who opposed school choice chose not to run for reelection. The majority of House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton won their primary elections and were reelected, The Center Square reported.

A coalition of Republicans, with some on opposite sides of these two issues, have expressed support for state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, of North Texas, as the next speaker.

When announcing his bid in September, he said his goal was to reform the House. After being reelected on Nov. 5, he said in a campaign email that Phelan could only be reelected with “the backing of a handful of Republicans and a majority of Democrats.”

He also claimed a “civil war” in the Texas Republican Party “has been festering since the speakership of Joe Strauss,” a Republican from San Antonio who was elected speaker in 2009 by a coalition of 11 Republicans and 66 Democrats. Strauss ousted state Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, who in 2003 was the first Republican elected speaker since Reconstruction.

While Craddock had bipartisan support, Strauss received a greater backing from Democrats. Since then, every Republican speaker has relied on Democratic votes to be elected.

Cook argues the House cannot “govern effectively” without the Republican majority selecting the speaker. “It is clear with my list of supporters that the current Speaker cannot win an endorsement of the Republican Caucus,” he said. If elected, he said he will “end this [Republican] civil war in the Texas House … through conservative victory.”

As speaker, Phelan has embraced bipartisan efforts in the House, also receiving strong bipartisan support in his district, HD 21, in southeast Texas. In March, he faced two Republican challengers in the primary, propelling him to a runoff election, which he won. He was reelected on Nov. 5.

Phelan’s supporters told The Center Square that his opponents and critics underestimated and mischaracterized voters in the district. They argue since Phelan was first elected in 2014, he’s delivered on fostering economic growth, job creation and protecting the oil and natural gas industry – the lifeblood of the district.

In response to Cook’s claims, Phelan issued a statement saying, “Rep. Cook does not have the necessary support to become the caucus nominee, let alone the Speaker of the House. I have the votes to become Speaker of the House and look forward to leading another banner session that reflects the will of our state and its lawmakers.”

He also said that as speaker, he’s “raised and contributed over $12 million in the last two election cycles to help re-elect my Republican House colleagues and protect our majority – the most of any Speaker in TX history – and will continue to do so in November and beyond. I take action, get results, and will continue to direct resources where they matter most in order to keep the Texas House strong. All members are welcome to join me in that effort.”

Two Democrats from Dallas have also announced their bid to lead the Republican-controlled House after the chair of the Texas Democratic Party announced he was resigning, citing devastating Democratic losses on Nov. 5.

State Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos, the chairwoman of Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus, announced she was running “to champion the rights and freedoms of all Texans.” This includes “protecting public schools,” restoring abortion protections and passing “common sense gun safety reforms. Our Democratic Party imagines a future where these values come to fruition.” She vowed to provide unity while also attacking “MAGA extremists.”

State Rep. John Bryant filed paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission on Tuesday stating his plan to run for speaker. He has yet to issue a statement. He previously served in the Texas House and in Congress and was reelected to the Texas House in 2022 and again on Nov. 5.