HOUSE SPEAKER’S RACE HEATS UP
Six candidates have now declared in the race to lead the Texas House for the 86th Legislative Session, which begins in January.
Three of those candidates officially joined the race in the last month—Rep. Travis Clardy (R-Nacogdoches); Rep. Drew Darby (R-San Angelo); and Rep. Four Price (R-Amarillo). They join three who had already declared: Rep. John Zerwas (R-Richmond); Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) and Rep. Eric Johnson (D-Dallas).
The members are running to replace current Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) who announced his retirement last October.
If, as expected, Republicans retain their majority in the House after the elections in November, the new speaker will likely come from their ranks.
While the entire body elects a Speaker, the House Republican Caucus has agreed to choose a Speaker and then vote as a bloc when consideration comes to the House floor. However, Reps. Zerwas, Clardy and Darby have refused to sign a form promising to ultimately support the caucus’ pick.
The Speaker is officially elected on the first day of the session in January. However, if a candidate gets a majority of members pledging their support, the announcement can be made earlier.