Efforts to unseat embattled Speaker Dade Phelan picked up steam Monday when the first Democrat entered the race to lead the Texas House.
State Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos of Richardson, facing an uphill battle in the Republican-led House, said she would work to end the partisan bickering that has characterized state politics in recent years.
Ramos also said she would seek to block what she called “an extremist agenda” pushed by Republicans who control the Texas Legislature, specifically efforts by the GOP to curtail abortion rights, divert tax dollars to private schools and block gun restrictions.
“When we fight, we win, but we only win when we fight together,” Ramos, who is running for her fourth two-year term, said in a call for support Monday on the X platform.
Phelan survived a highly funded effort from his party’s right flank to unseat him during the spring primaries and said he will seek a third term as House speaker when the new legislative session starts in January.
To date, five House Republicans have announced bids to replace Phelan, including Rep. John Smithee of Amarillo, who revealed his campaign over the weekend.
Smithee has served in the House since the mid-1980s and gained early support for speaker after he was among only 23 House Republicans to vote against impeaching Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last year. Smithee delivered an impassioned speech on the House floor against what he called a flawed impeachment process.
Other Republicans running for House speaker are Reps. James Frank of Wichita Falls, Shelby Slawson of Stephenville, David Cook of Mansfield and Tom Oliverson of Cypress.
The election of Texas House speaker will take place Jan. 14, 2025, the first day of the Legislature’s 89th session. All 150 House members will decide, by a majority vote, who will lead the House.
The House speaker has been a Republican since 2003.
Republicans hold an 86-63 advantage in the House, with one vacancy, and the numbers aren’t expected to drastically change in the November election. Ramos declined to cast a vote for speaker at the start of the 2023 session, when Phelan defeated Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, in a 145-3 vote.
Her stated goal – to turn the Texas House blue and win the speakership with a Democratic majority – is unlikely, given that most Texas House seats are in safe Republican districts.
Ramos is one of the more vocal members of her party in the Texas House, and her candidacy could signal that Democrats plan to push back against an increasingly conservative Republican agenda in the session ahead, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston.
“This is a muscular play where she’s trying to position the Democrats into relevancy,” Rottinghaus said. “There is a prominent force inside the Democratic caucus that wants to be a lot more visible and vocal toward the Republican leadership. This would accomplish that goal.”
Local Democratic Party officials were enthusiastic about Ramos’ announcement in social media posts Monday.
“We need a strong leader to unite the broken Texas House!” read a post by the North Texas Democrats. “Ana-Maria is a strong North Texan that will fight for public schools and our kids.”