MP Brian Harrison said Mr Phelan’s withdrawal from the speakership race was necessary but not sufficient and said the parliament needed to be completely reformed.
DALLAS – Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan’s unexpected announcement Friday caused political ripples across Texas. Chairman Phelan said he would withdraw from the presidential election.
“Out of deep respect for this institution and its members, after careful consideration and personal consultation with my colleagues, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the race for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives,” Phelan said in a statement.
Although the announcement was unexpected, it wasn’t entirely surprising. Mr. Phelan was already politically weakened by Republican lawmakers and was unable to garner enough support within his own party to secure re-election as speaker.
Some Republican lawmakers welcomed the announcement. State Rep. Brian Harrison, a Republican from Midlothian, was among those who criticized Phelan after he led the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton last year. Mr. Phelan also continued the tradition of appointing Democrats as chairs of some committees.
“Well, this is a huge win and I’m proud to have been able to lead the charge. I mean, almost two, a year and a half ago, after Dade Phelan was the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, courage to publicly demand that he resign from his position. I was the first member in the entire Texas Legislature to have this, which I believe is objectively the most liberal session in the history of the Texas House. This is a huge victory,” said Congressman Harrison.
Mr Harrison said Mr Phelan’s withdrawal from the race was necessary but may not be enough. He argued that the Legislature needs complete reform to reflect the will of Texas voters, who overwhelmingly want Republican leadership.
Grassroots conservatives also blame Mr. Phelan for last year’s enrollment aid fiasco. Harrison said it was unclear whether Phelan’s resignation would make passage of the vouchers easier.
“It depends on who replaces him. This is what I want people to take note of. I’m celebrating the victory of Dade Phelan’s resignation, but I want to warn people that it’s Dade Phelan’s It’s likely his own team, his own liberal team, liberal in every way, orchestrating his resignation. So that he could be replaced with a liberal person who, like him, benefited from the swamp. This is going to be hard for conservatives to understand – what I’m trying to say here. “Dade Phelan was not the central problem in the Austin swamp; he was the most visible manifestation of that,” Harrison said.
The fight over Mr. Phelan’s replacement highlights the continuing divisions within the Texas Republican Party. It remains unclear who will replace him and what issues he will prioritize.
The House Republican Caucus is scheduled to meet on Saturday, Dec. 7, to narrow down the candidates. The winner of Saturday’s vote is expected to receive the support of every Republican on the floor of the Texas House, according to caucus bylaws.
But Harrison said that process has never really worked.
“It’s more theory than reality. All that matters is who can get 76 votes in the chamber…Come January, that’s all that really matters,” Harrison said.
A few weeks ago, Rep. David Cook won a straw vote by a group of conservative Republicans. Harrison said he will support Rep. Cook at the next caucus meeting.
A few weeks ago, Rep. David Cook won a straw vote among conservative Republicans. Mr. Harrison said he would support Mr. Cook in future caucus meetings. Representative Dustin Burrows also announced his candidacy for speaker.
The official presidential election will take place on January 14, 2025, the first day of parliament.
To be clear, Mr. Phelan is not seeking re-election as Speaker and plans to remain a member of the House. He recently won re-election in Beaumont.
The key issue now is who will succeed him as speaker, with just five weeks left until Parliament resumes.
