The Texas House is about to get a new speaker and more than two dozen new members. While they all have started transitioning into their new roles, they can’t do much until they are officially sworn in to their new positions next month.
Alex Samuels
Alex Samuels was a reporter for The Texas Tribune from 2017 to 2021. She helped with national campaign coverage, wrote stories about the intersection of race and politics in Texas, and covered the hottest political news bubbling out of local communities. She was also one of the primary authors of The Blast, the Tribune’s subscription-only daily newsletter for political insiders. Alex began at the Tribune as a fellow in 2016. She graduated in 2017 from the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. She originally is from Massachusetts and is the best pingpong player at the Tribune.
Posted in
Politics
Dennis Bonnen, presumptive next Texas House speaker, backs removal of Confederate plaque
After Gov. Greg Abbott announced a Jan. 11 gathering of the State Preservation Board, which oversees the Capitol grounds, the likely next Texas House speaker applauded a “meeting to begin the process of removing” the controversial plaque.
Posted in
Texas Elections 2018
Three weeks after election, Texas Democrat concedes to state Rep. Morgan Meyer in tight race
Joanna Cattanach’s concession comes almost one month after the 2018 midterms. The Democrat had trailed state Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, by roughly 200 votes and requested a recount nearly a week after the election.
Posted in
Politics
Democrats in the Texas House ponder life with Dennis Bonnen as speaker
Nearly half of the Democrats who will serve in the House next year signed on to support state Rep. Dennis Bonnen’s speaker bid. Other members are left wondering what a House with Bonnen at the helm could mean for them — and whether they could get behind it.
Posted in
Texas Elections 2018
The week after Election Day, some Texas races remain in limbo
Counties still say they’re tallying their final votes, but here’s a roundup of races where the outcomes remain in limbo.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
From staying out to declaring victory, how Dennis Bonnen ended the speaker’s race in a weekend
The Republican from Angleton wasn’t even a candidate a month ago. Now he says he has north of 100 votes — more than enough to win the gavel.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
Dennis Bonnen says he has the votes to become the next speaker of the Texas House
Bonnen made the announcement at a press conference at the Capitol.
Posted inState Government
State Rep. Dennis Bonnen gains momentum as four Texas House speaker candidates drop out
The Angleton Republican called a press conference for Monday afternoon to discuss the race.
Posted in
Politics
How election night may have shifted the Texas House speaker’s race
Democrats, who picked up 12 state House seats, are more confident they’ll have a stronger hand in electing the next leader — an outlook that even some Republicans privately agree with.
Posted in
Texas Elections 2018
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus: “He’s not much of a Republican.”
In a wide-ranging interview Wednesday night, Patrick sounded off about Straus, the midterm elections and U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke: “It scares me what he stands for.”
