New Texas Republican Speaker Wins Gavel With Majority of Support From Democrats

Texas state Rep. Dustin Burrows concludes a public hearing in Uvalde, Texas, on June 17, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Texas Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows was elected the new Texas Speaker of the House with the support of more Democrats than Republicans.

Forty-nine Democrats joined 36 Republicans to put Burrows over the top during the vote on Jan. 14, the opening day of the 89th Legislature in Austin.

The outcome was a blow to the more conservative branch of the Texas GOP, which did not want a speaker beholden to Democrats.

Fellow Republican David Cook received 55 votes, the lion’s share of the caucus.

Nine members of the 150-member lower chamber were present but did not vote, and one was absent. Seventy-six votes, a majority of the 150-member chamber, are needed to secure the speakership.

According to state GOP rules, all 88 Republicans were obliged to support Cook for speaker after a caucus vote in December.

That didn’t happen, meaning the more moderate wing of Republicans willing to work with Democrats will remain in power in the House.

Burrows’s predecessor and ally, Rep. Dade Phelan, dropped out of the speaker race after nearly losing his seat in a bruising Republican primary race.

Burrows thanked his supporters in a social media post on X shortly after his victory.

“While the majority [Republicans] will guide our course, the House’s strength lies in its diversity, and my leadership will be dedicated to ensuring every voice is heard and every district represented this session,” he stated.

His post drew immediate backlash from conservative Republicans, with some on X calling for Burrows and Republicans who voted for him to be censured by the state GOP and primaried.

Censured lawmakers could be barred from running in Republican primaries.

The Texas speaker is the third most powerful position in state government. Whoever holds the gavel can influence which bills are brought to a vote.

Some Republicans fear that speakers elected mainly by Democrats could compromise the state’s conservative agenda.

During Phelan’s tenure as speaker, he appointed several Democrats to positions of power as committee chairs.

Conservative Republicans say that key pieces of conservative legislation have been thwarted in the past because Democrats had chairmanship power.

Over the past month, the ongoing civil war within the Republican Party set off a flurry of social media posts from state lawmakers and others, including Donald Trump Jr., with some calling for the GOP to censure lawmakers who don’t comply with the rules.

Both Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick supported electing a speaker supported by a majority of Republican lawmakers. Meanwhile, Attorney General Ken Paxton has spoken at rallies supporting Cook as speaker.

The Texas GOP recently aired ads against Burrows in his hometown of Lubbock, issuing a Dec. 12 warning on X that it was time for Burrows to step aside and support Cook.

“Any lawmaker conspiring with Democrats to undermine our party is unacceptable. The @TexasGOP will always work to defend the Republican brand and integrity of our party. This ad is only the beginning,” the post stated.

The speaker battle led to a Jan. 8 complaint filed by Republican state Rep. Cody Harris, a Burrows supporter, with the Texas Ethics Commission against state GOP Chairman Abraham George.

The complaint accused George of violating ethics rules by threatening to send out negative mailers or censure lawmakers who support Burrows for the gavel.

George denied any wrongdoing in a statement on Jan. 9, saying there was nothing wrong with urging members of the Republican caucus to unite behind Cook for speaker.