Lubbock’s Dustin Burrows Secures Texas House Speaker Position Amid GOP Infighting

 On the first day of the 89th Texas Legislature in Austin, Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock was chosen as speaker of the Texas House. Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield), who got 55 votes, lost the election, and Burrows won with 85 votes in a rematch.

Burrows thanked his peers, who will take over as speaker from Rep. Dade Phelan. He wrote on X, "The duty assigned to me today as Speaker of the Texas House is one of great honor and responsibility." Burrows promised to deal with essential problems like public safety, property tax relief, education, and water resources.

The race showed how divided the Republican caucus is. Thirty-six Republicans and fifty-nine Democrats voted for Burrows. Before, the majority of Republicans had backed Cook. Even though there was a split, Burrows won the job by putting together a coalition of both parties. This could mean that lawmakers will work together in this session.

Supporters of Cook attacked the process, and some said that the public couldn't see the vote quickly enough. Mary Carr, who backed Cook, was worried that Burrows would give Democrats too much power in making laws.

Democrats, on the other hand, were hopeful. "We're tired of partisan hackery," said Gene Wu, Chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus. We should fix what 80% of Texans want us to fix.

As a speaker, Burrows will have a lot of power. He will choose who chairs committees, set legislative goals, and ensure the chamber stays clean.

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