State Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos
Texas state Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, a Democrat from Richardson, announced Sunday night, Sept. 15, that she is running for Speaker of the House.
“When it comes time to elect a speaker, we will need a candidate who will fight to protect our public schools, restore the protections of Roe v. Wade and pass common sense gun safety reforms. I am stepping into this race today because Texans deserve a Democrat in every single race, and that includes the race for the most powerful role in the Texas House of Representatives,” she wrote in a letter to colleagues.
The letter continued, “Vice President Harris has reminded us that when we fight, we win. Here in Texas, we also know that we only win when we fight together.”=
It’s an odd move for a member of the minority party to run for the highest office in the lower chamber, and she has a low chance — on paper — of winning. Democrats currently hold 64 seats in the Texas House to Republicans’ 85 seats. (One safely Republican seat is vacant.)
But Rodríguez Ramos is not an ordinary legislator, nor is she running in the House in a normal time.
Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, faces five opponents from within his own party, including committee chairs and other allies. They include Insurance Chair Dr. Tom Oliverson of Cypress, Human Services Chair James Frank of Wichita Falls, Rep. Shelby Slawson of Stephenville who serves on the coveted Appropriations and State Affairs committees, Rep. David Cook of Mansfield who carried numerous priority law and order bills and Rep. John Smithee of Amarillo.
Each have their reasons (revenge, grift and plans to run for higher office, which requires a Republican be more conservative than Atilla the Hun in a primary.) None are remotely supportive of the LGBTQ community.
In the past decade though, the process of choosing a speaker has become as partisan as the deep partisan divide on LGBTQ issues.
Around 50 Republicans have rebelled against Phelan and are pushing back against mainly the tradition of ending Democratic committee chairs. The speaker is historically elected by a bipartisan majority (save the occasional defector). Members of the minority are still rewarded committee chairmanships. It’s meant to foster collaborations.
The disarray in Republican ranks could create an unexpected opening for a dark horse candidate.
That doesn’t in any way mean Rodríguez Ramos actually has a chance to win the Speakership. But the thought that an unabashedly pro-LGBTQ and progressive legislator would run is refreshing. And it’s good for LGBTQ Texans who have want to see someone fight after their transgender peers’ rights have been chipped away in the past two sessions under Phelan.
In many ways, a Ramos-Rodriguez candidacy makes sense. She was elected in one of the biggest upsets in 2018, already a good year for Democrats nationwide and in the state. She defeated Rep. Linda Koop, a relatively moderate Republican by today’s standards and a serious legislator. Her win surprised many who simply didn’t follow demographic trends and the increasingly blue leaning of the district.
It was the same cycle when Congressional nominee Rep. Julie Johnson defeated an incumbent in another longtime reliably Republican seat and Rep. Jessica Gonzalez defeated former Rep. Roberto Alonzo in the primary.
Ramos-Rodriguez has since been a partisan warrior, a founder of the Progressive Caucus who still authors meaningful bills with fellow Republicans.
To see her in action, check out this video in which she challenges Oliverson on a bill allowing “In God We Trust” signs to hang in schools if donated:
— James Russell