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In the most concerted attack to date on Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan from within the GOP House ranks, 48 representatives and nominees for House districts selected Rep. David Cook as their favored House speaker Friday. The group includes four who dropped their bids for speaker in order to consolidate support around a single candidate.
Cook, a two-term Mansfield Republican who announced his bid for speaker earlier this month, became the self-described “reform-minded” group’s consensus pick after multiple rounds of voting. When he announced his candidacy, Cook committed to appointing only Republicans to chair House committees, considered a crucial pledge to far-right GOP leaders who feel Phelan has ceded too much power to Democrats by continuing the chamber’s long-standing tradition of naming members of both parties to lead the legislative panels.
“This vote highlights the growing momentum for change within the Texas House, as members rally behind a shared vision of a decentralized leadership model that empowers all members,” Cook said in a statement.
Fellow speaker challengers James Frank, Tom Oliverson, Shelby Slawson and John Smithee issued a joint statement supporting Cook following the closed-door meeting at the County Line barbecue joint in Austin.
“We have suspended our campaigns for speaker and urge all of our Republican colleagues to join us in voting for Representative Cook as the Republican nominee for speaker when the caucus meets in December,” they wrote.
Phelan, who is seeking his third term in the speaker’s office, has been an open target of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Republican Party of Texas and a small segment of his caucus after the House last year impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and failed to pass education savings accounts and other conservative priorities.
Friday’s meeting among Phelan critics was an informal vote to consolidate support into one challenger. After House members are elected or reelected in November, the Texas House Republican Caucus, chaired by Oliverson, will meet in December to formally endorse their desired candidate for speaker.
“Not only are their actions disappointing and unacceptable, they are futile, as I proudly have the clear majority votes needed to be the Speaker today, and will have the clear majority support needed to become Speaker again come January,” Phelan said in a statement Friday morning.
It will take a simple majority of the entire House, 76 votes, to be elected House speaker at the start of the legislative session in January. But the rules of the House Republican caucus instruct GOP members to vote for the group’s endorsed candidate.
To garner that endorsement, one must have support from at least three-fifths of members. Right now, there are 86 members, putting that threshold at 52. It won’t be known until after the November elections how many House members will be Republicans next year.
Friday’s vote suggests that Cook could be in reach of hitting the necessary threshold.
However, the group includes around 20 candidates who are running for House seats but do not currently serve in the chamber. Two, Steve Kinard and former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, are running in races for competitive seats currently held by Democrats.
Grumblings within the House GOP caucus exploded after 15 Republican incumbents lost their primaries this spring, eroding confidence in Phelan’s ability to lead the chamber. Feuding between Phelan and Patrick, who serves as president of the Texas Senate, could also portend another contentious session of Republican infighting, a specter some don’t want looming over the legislative session that begins in January.
Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
– 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
– 15 State Senators
– 7 State Board of Education members
– 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
– 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
– 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
– Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
– County Courts at Law
– Justices of the Peace
– District Attorneys
– County Attorneys
– Sheriffs
– Constables
– Tax Assessor-Collectors
How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
What if I missed the voter registration deadline?
You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
What can I do if I have questions about voting?
You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State’s helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
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