TX Democrats team up with moderate Republicans to elect preferred candidate for state House speaker

CV NEWS FEED // A coalition of Texas Democrats and moderate Republicans Tuesday elected Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, as state House Speaker over Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, the nominee of the House Republican Caucus.

Burrows won the vote tally 85-55 in the overwhelmingly Republican Texas state House. Despite being the party’s official nominee, Cook only received the votes of 59% of the House Republican caucus, with the other 41% voting for Burrows on the second and final round of balloting.

In total, 49 Democrats joined 36 Republicans in voting for Burrows. Nine Democrats were present yet did not vote. One Democratic lawmaker was absent.

Notably, the 52 Republicans who voted for Cook were joined by three Democrats: Rep. Sergio Muñoz, D-Palmview, Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, and Rep. Ana-María Ramos, D-Richardson. Ramos was a candidate for speaker on the first ballot and received the votes of about two dozen Democrats.

Although both lawmakers are Republicans, Burrows is widely considered to be to Cook’s left. Still, the speaker-elect has repeatedly stated that he supports school choice. 

The Texas Tribune reported that Burrows in December “made clear he would not stand in the way of voucher legislation supported by ‘the will of the House.’”

Burrows and Cook both controversially voted with the majority of state House Republicans to impeach Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in May 2023. Paxton was subsequently acquitted by the Texas Senate and remains in office.

Following the stunning speakership election, Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Speaker Burrows was handed the speakership by Democrats, as has happened behind closed doors session after session since 2009.”

Patrick noted that Cook was still defeated “despite having a clear majority of Republican votes.” 

“One cannot imagine if the Democrats had 88 members of the Texas House that they would allow Republicans to elect the speaker,” the Lieutenant Governor continued. “I am proud of the Republicans who stood together and voted for Rep. Cook, the House Republican Caucus nominee. Republican voters expected the new speaker to be elected by Republicans, not by Democrats.”

Patrick wrote that the Texas Senate, over which he presides “is organized and prepared to conduct business swiftly.”

He added that he is “counting on Speaker Burrows and will work with him to deliver on his promise to pass important conservative legislation that previously failed to pass the House.”

In particular, Patrick singled out school choice as well as bail reform, election integrity measures, “putting the 10 Commandments back in schools,” and prohibiting the teaching of far-left critical race theory (CRT).

>> RELATED: OVER 1 MILLION FLORIDA KIDS BENEFITTING FROM SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM <<

“Each of these bills will be passed again by the Texas Senate,” Patrick noted. “The voters will hold our new speaker accountable to keep his promise of being the most conservative speaker in Texas history.”

Paxton also issued a statement reacting to Burrows’ stunning election.

“The removal of the disgraced and corrupt Dade Phelan as Speaker of the House is a positive step for Texas,” he wrote. “His close ally, Dustin Burrows, was elected with the support of most Democrats after he refused to honor the rules of the Republican caucus.”

Phelan, a Republican, had presided over Paxton’s impeachment – a move that garnered widespread criticism from his fellow party members. 

While a handful of Republican state lawmakers who voted to impeach Paxton lost renomination to more conservative candidates last year, Phelan narrowly survived, winning his primary runoff by a point and a half. Phelan did not run for reelection as speaker but remains in the Texas House. He voted for Burrows in Tuesday’s speaker election.

“Texas Republican voters made it clear they want conservative legislation to pass this session,” Paxton continued his statement. “It is now important that Speaker Burrows and his leadership team pass every conservative legislative priority in a timely manner to make our state more secure and even more prosperous. That is what Texas Republicans expect.”

However, school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis expressed some optimism with Burrows’ win, citing the new speaker’s recent comments in favor of education freedom.

“Texas will finally empower all families with education freedom this year,” DeAngelis wrote on X.

In a subsequent post, DeAngelis noted that Burrows signed a pledge that included support for “universal school choice that fully empowers every parent to choose the school that is best for their child.”