State Rep. David Cook of Mansfield failed to pick up any new support in his first week as the leading challenger for conservatives for the job that GOP Speaker Dade Phelan expects to win for the third time in a row in the Texas House leadership election in January.
Cook emerged from a private meeting on September 20 with pledges from four dozen Republicans who are billing themselves as reformists in a push to oust Phelan from the dais on opening day of the regular session in 2025. Cook identified 46 GOP members who are backing him on Friday while claiming to have two more Republicans who wanted names kept confidential for reasons that the speaker contender declined to disclose.
But Cook sought to show that he had some momentum by announcing that "several others have expressed commitment to reform, but chose to wait until after the November election" before taking sides officially in the Texas speaker's race.
The number of incumbents and nominees who Cook named as supporters represents less than 56 percent of the seats that the GOP currently holds in the Legislature's lower chamber. But Cook's pledge count could shrink on November 5 with three nominees on his list facing fights with Democratic opponents who have good shots at winning this fall.
Based on Cook's current tally, he would be 22 votes short of the 76-vote threshold that he'd need to take the gavel from Phelan if the Republicans and Democrats broke even on the House battlefield this year. Cook's challenge would be complicated substantially if Democrats pick up several seats in the west wing in Austin this fall. The GOP currently enjoys an 86-64 advantage in House seats.
Cook's pledge list is dominated by Republicans who would be freshmen or sophomores in 2025 if they win in 2024. Ten Cook supporters are rookie lawmakers while 20 would be rookies next year if they prevail this fall. The two Republicans who Cook described as confidential supporters were State Rep. Gary Gates of Richmond and House District 56 nominee Pat Curry of Waco based on unsubstantiated reports.
Four current committee chairs - State Reps. James Frank of Wichita Falls, J.M. Lozano of Kingsville, Tom Oliverson of Cypress and Shelby Slawson of Stephenville - are backing Cook for speaker. Slawson, Oliverson and Frank were candidates for the leadership post themselves before folding campaigns and pledging votes for Cook as the consensus challenger. Veteran State Rep. John Smithee of Amarillo was running for speaker as well before he and the other challengers rallied behind Cook late last week.
None of the names on the Cook pledge list were surprises. The list could grow shorter despite the teaser on supporters waiting in the wings if Don McLaughlin of Uvalde and Steve Kinard of Plano lose to Democrats in November in districts where the Republicans are underdogs at this point.
Capitol Inside has a race that features another Cook supporter - Marc LaHood of San Antonio - ranked as a toss up with the election less than six weeks before the vote. Capitol Inside has had Phelan ranked as the favorite in the 2025 speaker's contest since he staved off an unprecedented challenge in his home base in the primary election and runoff this spring.
