The race for the Texas House Speaker has intensified following Speaker Dade Phelan’s withdrawal from his re-election bid amid internal party pressures. The Republican Caucus convened and nominated Representative David Cook of Mansfield as their candidate for the position. However, Representative Dustin Burrows, who was one of Phelan’s top lieutenants, has declared that he has secured sufficient bipartisan support to claim the speakership, including backing from a group of Republicans which includes Representative Brooks Landgraf of Odessa.
During the caucus meeting, Cook received 48 votes, while Burrows garnered 14, with 26 members, including Landgraf, exiting the meeting before the final vote. This walkout indicates a significant division within the party. Burrows later announced he had obtained commitments from 76 members—38 Republicans and 38 Democrats—asserting his path to the speakership.
The Republican Party of Texas has urged unity, passing a resolution that calls for all Republican House members to support the caucus nominee, David Cook. The resolution also condemns any efforts by Republicans to collaborate with Democrats in electing a speaker.
“The Texas GOP is tired of the Joe Strauss, Dade Phelan type speakers and, as a party, we pushed for reform within the Texas House. Texas Republicans want the Texas House to act like they belong to the Republican Party. We were willing to support any candidate that would pledge his support for our party platform and David Cook emerged as a clear consensus candidate among conservative members of the House.” stated Senate District 31 Republican Executive Committewoman Tisha Crow.
One of the top legislative priorities for Texas Republicans is to end the practice of appointing Democrats as committee chairs and, while Burrows has said he wouldn’t continue the practice established by his predecessor and mentor Dade Phelan it seems highly likely that, given the strong support Burrows claims he is receiving from Democrat House members, Burrows will continue to appoint Democrats as committee chairs.
“It’s really frustrating that our representative continues to thumb his nose at the Texas Republican Party and our platform. Session after session, Landgraf has voted for a House Speaker that allows practices to continue that are in direct opposition to our party platform. I would urge Representative Landgraf to join the Republican caucus in supporting David Cook as our next House Speaker.” stated Crow.
Representative Brooks Landgraf’s decision to support Burrows, aligning with Democrats, marks a notable departure from the party’s majority stance. This move could have significant implications for his standing within the party and his relationship with constituents in Ector, Ward, Winkler, and Loving County.
Odessa Headlines has contacted Representative Landgraf for comment but Landgraf hasn’t currently responded.
The official vote for the Texas House Speaker is scheduled for January 14, when the legislative session commences. Until then, the contest remains unresolved, with both Cook and Burrows actively seeking to consolidate support.