Staff Writers
AUSTIN — Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican, was elected speaker of the Texas House as the 89th session of the Texas Legislature kicked off Tuesday, defeating the preferred candidate of grassroots Republicans and requiring help from Democrats to prevail.
The hotly contested race for leader of the House divided Texas Republicans and produced threats of political retribution against those who supported Burrows over Rep. David Cook, a Mansfield Republican starting his third two-year term.
Burrows defeated Cook 85-55, with nine Democrats listed as present but not voting, and one Democrat declining to cast a ballot.
Speaking to the House afterward, Burrows vowed to put the institution first, lead with an open door to his colleagues, ensure every member’s voice is heard and offer transparent timelines for moving priority bills.
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He also offered an olive branch.
“This work can be complex, difficult and even divisive, but history shows us that we can obtain an outcome — and outcomes — that are just sensible and affordable,” Burrows said. “That is what this chamber does. The House is at its best when we’re tackling problems that are seemingly insurmountable.”
Before the vote, the Texas Republican Party weighed taking actions against Republicans who failed to support Cook, who was chosen as the party’s nominee in December under House GOP rules but could not muster enough support from members of his party.
Abraham George, chair of the state GOP and a Cook supporter, said he was disappointed by the outcome and said party leaders will meet to plan their next steps.
“I consider [Burrows] as a Democrat speaker at this point, and we’ll see how this is going to play out with the rest of the party,” George said.
“Anyone who sides with the Democrats today, the party’s watching,” he said, noting “our rules do allow us to remove them from ballots” in next year’s primaries.
Democrats played a large role in electing Burrows as speaker. Burrows was supported by 36 Republicans and 49 Democrats, while Cook had the support of 52 Republicans and three Democrats.
In the first round of voting, Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, D-Richardson, received 23 votes and was eliminated from the contest. Burrows had 71 votes and Cook 56, setting up a two-way runoff won by Burrows.
Having more Democratic support than Republicans could spell trouble for Burrows. Grassroots Republicans are threatening a primary challenge next year, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who oversees the Senate, pressed for a speaker to be chosen by a majority of Republicans.
In a social media post last week, Patrick said any speaker who wins with more Democratic than Republican support would be a “counterfeit speaker.”
Patrick was no happier Tuesday evening.
“Speaker Burrows was handed the speakership by Democrats,” Patrick said. “This may be the first time in our nation’s history where the minority party openly elected the speaker of a legislative body instead of the majority party.”
As speaker, Burrows will have to work with Patrick, who clashed publicly with previous speakers, to pass bills and negotiate differences between the chambers..
The vote for speaker was by far the most contentious and momentous action taken Tuesday, and there was plenty of traditional pomp and speeches as the Senate and House launched a 140-session that will affect the lives of 30 million Texans.
The day’s proceedings in the Texas Senate unfolded with far less drama. There, the chief business of the day was swearing in senators who won election or reelection in November, including three new senators – Houston Democrat Molly Cook, Corpus Christi Republican Adam Hinojosa and Denton Republican Brent Hagenbuch.
“This is an extraordinary privilege for the people who elected you and for you to be here for them. Stepping inside this brass rail is a special thing.” Patrick said after the oath of office, administered by newly appointed Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jimmie Blacklock.
Gov. Greg Abbott, accompanied by first lady Cecilia Abbott, spoke to senators, equating their navigation of hundreds of complex bills to an airplane pilot flying through dense clouds.
“It may seem like you are stuck in a haze of clouds,” Abbott said.
Abbott said senators should look toward two guideposts: the Texas Constitution and the idea that Texas is a land of opportunity.
Abbott also listed key issues he wants the Legislature to tackle: bail reform and providing taxpayer money to subsidize tuition for public schools, what he calls “school choice.”
The Legislature failed to pass a school voucher proposal that met Abbott’s approval in 2023. Abbott took revenge on several Republicans in the House, campaigning against school choice opponents in last year’s GOP primaries.
“I can testify for a fact to the urgent pleas of thousands of Texans to please use your voice and use your vote this session to expand the opportunity for every parent to choose the school that’s best for their child,” Abbott told the Senate. “There’s a hunger for that.”
Abbott was expected to address the House but ran into a scheduling conflict after the speaker vote ran long, the governor’s office said.
Following Abbott’s speech, Patrick said the Senate had passed a school voucher bill five times in 2023.
“We passed that school choice five times,” Patrick said. “We passed that bail bill five times. I don’t know who my partner is going to be across the hall, but we have passed that bill many times.”
The only other business of the day was electing the Senate’s president pro tempore. This session, the honorary position goes to Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who was next in seniority. The position makes him something akin to the understudy of Patrick.
After his selection, Burrows laid out several priorities, telling House members that Texans face a slew of challenges.
“Property tax payers need relief. Our public schools need support. Our water infrastructure needs investment,” Burrows said. “These aren’t Republican issues or Democrat issues, they’re Texas issues.”
Burrows succeeded Rep. Dade Phelan, who was blamed for the defeat of conservative priorities in the House during his two terms as speaker.
The next big step for Burrows will be the debate over the rules of the Texas House. The major question will be whether Democrats could serve as committee chairs. Cook opposed Democrats in leadership positions, while Burrows previously declined to say where he stands on the issue, saying he preferred to leave that decision up to the House.
Burrows declined to comment after the House adjourned when approached by The Dallas Morning News.
Cook said he was “disappointed not to have the results that we were looking for.”
“But you know we ran a good, honest race and I’m very proud of the support that we were able to garner,” Cook told reporters on the House floor after the vote.
Philip Jankowski has covered government, politics and criminal justice in Texas for 17 years. He previously worked for the Austin American-Statesman, the Killeen Daily Herald and the Taylor Press. Philip is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
Aarón is an Austin native who previously covered local government for The Kansas City Star and high school sports for the Knoxville News Sentinel. He is a University of Texas graduate, and Spanish is his first language.
Karen Brooks Harper has covered Texas politics in and out of Austin for nearly 30 years. She's also covered the cartel wars along the TX-MX border, Congress in Mexico City, and 6 hurricanes, among other stories. Raised on blues and great food in the MS Delta, she lives in ATX with her family, her guitar, and her boxing gloves. In that order.
Nolan covers Texas politics. Before relocating to Austin in June 2024, he spent nearly a decade in Washington, D.C., reporting on national politics, including the White House, Congress and presidential campaigns. He is a graduate of Florida A&M University.
