The Texas House convened this week to elect state Rep. Dustin Borrows (R) as the new Texas House Speaker.
State Reps. David Cook (R) and Burrows, the two leading candidates in the state House race, kicked off the legislative session with a controversial race pitting conservatives against each other.
State Rep. Cook, who was voted the nominee in 2024, faced off against state Rep. Burrows, a candidate criticized for allegedly “selling out” his conservative principles with negotiations with Democrats to gain the speakership.
Top officials in the Lone Star state like Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) went to bat for state Rep. Cook, accusing state Rep. Burrows of simply seeking power over leadership.
Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt (R) weighed in on the race, urging Republicans in the state House “to stand firm and reject any notion of ceding power to the Democrats.” “Texas stands as a shining example of conservative values – a beacon of liberty, limited government, and individual responsibility,” he wrote on X.
As my friends in the @TexasGOP gather in the State House to elect a Speaker, I urge them to stand firm and reject any notion of ceding power to the Democrats. Texas stands as a shining example of conservative values—a beacon of liberty, limited government, and individual…
— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) January 14, 2025
State Rep. Burrows however also enlisted Republicans to go to bat for him like state Rep. Caroline Fairly (R).
On social media, the Texas congresswoman released a statement, announcing that she would be casting her vote for the Republican challenger.
https://x.com/bradj_tx/status/1879207722568102358?s=48
“Mr. Cook is a good man, and I am confident we would work well together if he becomes Speaker. However, I believe Representative Burrows is more conservative, will provide stronger leadership, and will help the House pass bold, conservative legislation,” state Rep. Fairly said.
The three-way-dance between the Republican congressman and state Rep. Ana María Rodríguez Ramos (D) resulted in 71 votes for state Rep. Burrows, 56 votes for state Rep. Cook, and 23 votes for state Rep. Rodríguez Ramos, triggering a runoff between the two Republican congressman.
In the end, state Rep. Burrows outlasted state Rep. Cook, scoring 85 votes against the state Rep. Cook's 55 votes to become the next Texas Speaker of the House.
