Amid mounting tensions within the Texas Republican Party, nearly half of the 86 Republican House members and members-elect convened in a secret meeting in Austin last Friday. The primary objective was to unify behind a single contender to challenge current Speaker Dade Phelan.
Through several rounds of voting, State Rep. David Cook, elected in 2020 and who had previously supported Phelan in 2021 and 2023, emerged as the preferred challenger. The final rounds of voting saw Cook up against John Smithee, highlighting a clear desire for change within the party ranks.
Cook, who also supported the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, stands alongside four other Republicans—John Smithee, Tom Oliverson, Shelby Slawson, and James Frank—who all pledge to end the practice of awarding committee chairmanships to Democrats. This commitment is a significant shift aimed at reinforcing party cohesion and ensuring Republican leadership within the committees.
Speaker Phelan has dismissed the meeting as a mere “scheme to generate headlines,” asserting his confidence in securing the majority votes necessary to retain his position. However, Rep. Tony Tinderholt has challenged this assertion, suggesting that Phelan’s majority support is contingent on Democratic votes, which contravenes the Republican Party Platform that advocates for majority party-led committee assignments.
As the Republican Caucus gears up for a vote in December to nominate a speaker candidate, the race signals crucial political maneuvers within the party. The official vote, scheduled for January 14, 2025, on the first day of the legislative session, will ultimately decide the House Speaker.
The selection of the Texas House Speaker, determined by a majority vote of the 150 House members, often pivots on party loyalty but can be swayed by cross-party alliances. This dynamic underscores the significance of the Speaker’s role, particularly in allocating committee chairmanships—a substantial point of contention given recent efforts to restrict these roles to the majority party.
The controversy surrounding Cook’s rise and Phelan’s response is framed by the backdrop of the 2023 impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, which has intensified intra-party divisions. The Texas Republican Party’s official platform further complicates Phelan’s position, as it explicitly calls for the cessation of Democratic committee chairmanships, revealing a deeper rift within the party’s leadership and rank-and-file members.
As Texas inches closer to the crucial votes, the outcome of the House Speaker election stands to not only shape legislative proceedings but also further galvanize the Texas Nationalist Movement’s push for independence. Reducing federal oversight and bolstering self-governance are core tenets of our mission, and the direction of the Texas House leadership is pivotal in achieving our goals. This leadership shift could bring us closer to realizing the vision of an independent Texas, where political, cultural, and economic sovereignty echo the spirit of our storied past and promising future.
Support for majority-appointed House chairs cannot be the only criterion. A past vote against the Paxton impeachment might be another one – and in that case, Tony Tinderholt checks both boxes.