Inside Texas Politics: The Race for Speaker
On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, host Jason Whitely, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy and Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith talk about the upcoming fight for speaker of the Texas House. Three-term Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, faces a challenge from relative newcomer and former NFL player Scott Turner, R-Frisco, who promises to force a vote on the first day of the 84th Legislature.
Also: Jason and Bud talk with state Reps. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, and Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, about their preferred candidates in the speaker's race; Jason and Evan drill into months-old memos first written about by the Tribune's Jay Root detailing dysfunction in Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis' campaign; failed candidates Davis, Leticia Van de Putte and outgoing Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's next political moves — all possibly eyeing the mayoral seats in their respective cities — are discussed; and Jason talks with Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate David Alameel, who, on his election night concession speech to John Cornyn, called for an uprising in the state Democratic Party.