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Dustin Burrows |
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David Cook |
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Tom Craddick |
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Ryan Guillen |
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Todd Hunter |
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Charlie Geren |
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The epic cannibal fest into which the Texas House speaker's race has degenerated could take its strangest turn yet if State Rep. David Cook is quietly courting Democrats despite a vow to choke off their only major source of power if he claims the gavel as the GOP caucus nominee.
Having appeared to stall without sufficient support from Republicans to be the speaker, Cook has his sights set on 10 Democrats who his team views as potential crossover votes based on speculation inside the Austin beltway this week.
The conjecture is unsubstantiated at this point. But the recruiting of Democrats could be the second-term Mansfield lawmaker's only realistic hope of cracking State Rep. Dustin Burrows' hold on his status as the betting favorite for the speaker's election in January.
Burrows still has about 30 Republicans including 17 current committee chairs in his corner despite historic pressure and threats of retaliation from the Texas GOP and others on the right. Barring unexpected Republican defections before the vote on the floor less than four weeks from now, Burrows could lock the leadership post down with pledges from most if not all of 66 Democrats who'll be House members in 2025.
About two dozen Democrats have been keeping their powder dry in an apparent attempt to squeeze maximum concessions from the Republican who they will ultimately support for speaker. But the Republican warring has put Democrats in position to wield more clout than they've had in more than two decades of GOP rule in the west wing in Austin if they're united like they'd been in every Texas speaker fight for the past 14 years.
The holdout by some Democrats appears to be more of a negotiating tactic than collective contemplation on the possibility of voting for a Republican like Cook who's campaign has revolved on a promise to ban Democrats from serving as committee chairs for the first time in the modern history of the Lone Star State.
Cook could find it all but impossible to convert any Democrats as a consequence of the pledge to dismantle the once-sacred tradition of bipartisan leadership in the Texas Legislature's lower chamber. But he may feel compelled to try nonetheless as a desperation Hail Mary amid the realization that the partisan purity strategy appears to be a bust in a chamber that's always been run by moderates regardless of the party with the majority.
Cook could have patterned a speaker bid after Midland Republican Tom Craddick's first campaign for the post when a divided GOP claimed the majority for the first time since the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. While Craddick may have had a shot to win without votes from across the aisle, he refused to gamble and astutely put the contest to bed after announcing the support of a dozen Democrats who were duly rewarded with committee chairmanships in 2003.
But Cook has removed the golden carrot that Craddick dangled with success as a weapon in a gameplan that's depended instead on Republicans cowing in fear of well-funded primary opponents in re-election races in 2026. Cook's camp has wagered that Republicans who are pledged to Burrows would be willing to sacrifice the clout that's made them stars in the face of scare tactics from rookie state GOP Chairman Abraham George, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and others.
GOP State Rep. Cody Harris of Palestine responded to a threatening text from George in an exchange that surfaced on Wednesday on social media.
"Abraham, it would be great if you spent even half as much of the effort and money trying to beat Democrats in general elections as you are engaging in the Republican Speaker's race," Harris said. "I had a Democrat challenger in the fall, but now is when I hear from you or anyone at RPT? I will continue to do what I believe is right. Threatening me with campaign mailers will never change that."
Burrows or another Republican would only need 14 GOP members in their camp if the Democrats stuck together. But he could afford to lose some Democrats if the Republicans who are still supporting him for speaker hold their ground like they have up to now. Harris, the current Local & Consent Calendars Committee chairman, is giving the other Republicans who are backing Burrows cover with the message on how he won't bow in submission to the caucus choice for speaker simply as a result to threats of retribution in the future.
Burrows crowns the Capitol Inside rankings for the Texas House speaker competition in 2025. Craddick ranks a close third behind Cook with a groundswell of promised support if he emerges as a fallback candidate if and when the caucus nominee's supporters start to flake.
But the Republicans who round out the current rankings - State Reps. Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City, Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi and Charlie Geren of Fort Worth - are examples of Burrows backers who could a shot at a united show of support from Democrats if the Lubbock legislator faltered in the stretch after claiming to already have enough pledges to win on the floor next month.
But the race isn't over despite Burrows' attempt to portray it as such. Here are 29 reasons why Burrows is favored with a list of Republicans who are backing him for the leadership position or have appeared to be at the outset of the holidays.
The count is fluid so there could be others who've we missed. But Cook might need votes from more than 10 Democrats if Burrows can keep his GOP base below intact.
Dustin Burrows
Dade Phelan
Greg Bonnen
Todd Hunter
Morgan Meyer
Will Metcalf
Brad Buckley
Jeff Leach
Drew Darby
Charlie Geren
Ryan Guillen
Brooks Landgraf
Cody Harris
Jared Patterson
Ken King
Angie Chen Button
Giovanni Capriglione
Terry Wilson
Stan Lambert
Gary VanDeaver
Jay Dean
Keith Bell
Cole Hefner
Lacey Hull
Carl Tepper
Angela Orr
Stan Kitzman
Stan Gerdes
John McQueeney
