Austin, TX
Group of Republican Legislators Meets in Secret to Orchestrate Challenge to Phelan – Reform Austin
With the 89th Texas Legislature set to convene on January 14, political activity in Austin is beginning to increase. A variety of Senate and House Committees met earlier this week and more and more members of the legislature are showing up in Austin supper clubs and restaurants. In the midst of this climate is what appears to be a very active race for the Speaker of the House. Speaker Dade Phelan, fresh from a primary runoff win, is returning to the Texas House and he wants his old job as Speaker back. The primary contest was launched against him by his own party leadership as retribution for the House’s impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton.
In a continued display of Republican internecine warfare, five Republicans have filed to run against Phelan for the Speaker position. Republican candidates to date are:
Dade Phelan (R) Beaumont Current Speaker Member Since 2013
Tom Oliverson (R) Cypress Member since 2017 Chair Insurance
Shelby Slawson (R) Granbury Member since 2021
David Cook (R) Mansfield Member since 2021
James Frank (R) Wichita Falls Member since 2013 Chair Human Services Committee
John Smithee (R) Amarillo Member since 1985 Not currently in leadership (best known as longtime chair of Insurance Committee)
One Democrat has filed but her chances do not look good.
Ana-Maria Ramos (D) Dallas Member since 2019
To make matters worse, a not-so-secret meeting was held earlier today with roughly 25 or so Republicans showing up for an Austin area meeting focused on coalescing behind a challenger to Speaker Phelan. Whether the intention was to support an existing challenger or a new challenger is not known at this time.
Phelan’s office released the following lengthy statement in response to the meeting:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 20, 2024 Statement from Speaker Dade Phelan
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan today issued the following statement:”Today’s gathering is little more than an orchestrated scheme to generate headlines and fuel social media clicks, driving our caucus headlong into unnecessary chaos. A very small handful of self-anointed instigators put on this gathering, refusing to invite the majority of the current Republican caucus, misleading members to get them in the room, and permitting unauthorized proxy voting for those not in attendance in order to artificially inflate their numbers. The organizers of this distraction have completely and deliberately shortcut established caucus rules to generate an outcome benefitting nobody but themselves. Not only are their actions disappointing and unacceptable, they are futile, as I proudly have the clear majority votes needed to be the Speaker today, and will have the clear majority support needed to become Speaker again come January. “Our chamber is unique because it remains one of the few deliberative legislative bodies in the world where every member stands on equal footing. In the Texas House, there are no shortcuts. We don’t manufacture outcomes—we earn them. Success is achieved by doing the hard work, winning the support of the majority, and following the framework that has guided us for generations. That is exactly what I will do to retain the Speakership in 2025, and I am grateful to have the support and trust from the majority of my House colleagues. “Now is the time to end the sideshows, unify our caucus—and with session fast approaching—refocus on what matters most: crafting smart policy and delivering solutions for the people of Texas. For those members I have heard from who feel their trust was broken today, and that this scheme has caused great, irreversible damage to our once strong caucus, my door remains open to each and every one of you.”I invite every member of the Texas House, including those pursuing the Speaker’s gavel, to join me in setting aside our differences and working hand-in-hand to advance our common goals. There is room at the table for everyone willing to participate in a productive and collaborative discussion about improving our Legislature and our state, and I’m confident that by working together with the Governor and our counterparts in the Texas Senate, we will uphold the integrity of this chamber and deliver meaningful results for the people of Texas.”
CONTACT:press@texansfordade.com
A former long-time state representative remarked in a phone conversation that, “There will be people who purport to know what is happening during this race but no one ever really seems to know.” As an established Austin lobbyist that has worked the Capitol since the 1980s said “This is a very fluid situation.”
The meeting was allegedly orchestrated by the far right wing of the Republican party as almost all of those in attendance were the same ones who signed a letter opposing Democratic Chairs in the Texas House.
Rumor around the Capitol is that some members are being threatened with primary opponents should they support Phelan. The quandary they are in with such a threat is that Phelan may stifle their legislation next session if they support one of his challengers.
Such intra party infighting has become all too common in state legislatures across the nation as they begin to mimic the U.S. Congress with purity tests and interpersonal vituperativeness. Of course, the real losers are the taxpayers that these lawmakers represent.