AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, R – Beaumont, announced Friday he would withdraw from the race for Speaker of the Texas House.
“By stepping aside, I believe we create the best opportunity for our members to rally around a new candidate who will uphold the principles that make our House one of the most exceptional, deliberative legislative bodies in the country—a place where honor, integrity, and the right of every member to vote their district takes utmost precedent,” Phelan said in a statement.
Phelan has been the House speaker in Texas for nearly four years, with his term beginning in January 2021.
Phelan did not get a majority of the votes (43%) during the March primary election; however, in a runoff on May 28, he defeated David Covey 50.7% to 49.3%. Covey was endorsed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Donald Trump.
According to his statement, Phelan said he would continue to serve in the Texas House of Representatives.
“I will and look forward to working with my colleagues to nominate a candidate who can best unite the House and ensure our beloved chamber remains a beacon of integrity and conservative leadership in the 89th Legislature,” Phelan said.
The speaker race now comes down to two Republican State Representatives, Dustin Burrows of Lubbock and David Cook of Mansfield. Burrows filed for his candidacy early Friday morning following Phelan’s announcement.
Republicans are expected to pick a nominee Saturday. Under the caucus rules, the person who obtains at least 60% of the votes gets the group’s endorsement, as well as support from all 88 Republican members when the vote goes to the full House in January.
However, there is no House rule that holds Republicans to vote along with their party.
The video above from Dec. 2 breaks down the process of electing a speaker and the politics behind the current race.
This year’s process is in stark contrast to how voting for the speakership happened in past sessions, according to former State Representative Mark Strama. He personally sat through five speaker votes in his tenure at the Capitol, and he described the process as “mystical.”
Strama said in the past the candidates for the position would work to gain bipartisan support in the chamber in order to secure the position. A candidate must receive at least 76 votes to become speaker.
A coalition of Republicans who did not support Phelan said they want a speaker who will not appoint Democrats to committee chair positions, and who will make sure their party’s priorities are brought to the floor first.
Strama believes the process is becoming too partisan. “We have always had speakers who build a bipartisan coalition to get the majority that they need to be elected,” Strama said. “And that has led to a bipartisan legislative process.”
The Texas House Democrats have not pledged their support to any of the candidates yet, but say they will listen to what each one has to say. They did release a joint statement following Phelan’s announcement.
Nothing has changed for Texas House Democrats as we look towards January and the next legislative session. With 40 days until we reconvene in Austin, only one Caucus stands united and focused on the real problems affecting Texans: struggling public schools, unregulated price gauging after disasters, and the loss of bodily autonomy.
Texas House Democrats