Photo: Paul Hudson // CC 2.0
Representative Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) was elected Speaker of the Texas House by a group of moderate Republicans who teamed up with Democrats.
Dustin Burrows has represented Texas House District 83 since 2015, which makes him a seasoned veteran of the Texas legislative process. Following his victory, he thanked his colleagues and supporters and issued a message of unity.
“The duty bestowed upon me today as Speaker of the Texas House is one of immense responsibility and honor, and I thank each of my colleagues for their trust and vote of confidence,” Burrows said in a statement he posted online.
“I commit to you today, every member will have a voice. Every district will have a seat at the table.”
This victory marks a stunning blow to the insurgent conservative movement that has taken over the Texas Republican Party. They have been trying to establish complete control of the Texas government for years and the House of Representatives is the last body that stands in their way.
J.M. Lozano (R-Kingsville) who represents Alice and the rest of Texas House District 43, has positioned himself firmly on the insurgent conservative side of the Texas Republican Party. He voted against Speaker Burrows, and instead supported Representative David Cook (R-Mansfield). Rep. Cook was the candidate of choice for the insurgent wing of the party.
Although they lost the race for Speaker, this wing of the Texas Republican Party did have a pretty successful primary season this past year, as they ousted nearly a dozen moderate Republicans from office, and replaced them with candidates who are more likely to support their conservative priorities. In fact, Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) the former moderate House Speaker, only barely survived his primary challenge this past year. He placed second in the first round, but made a stunning comeback in the runoff.
Much of this backlash from Republican voters can be attributed to the Texas House’s impeachment of Ken Paxton, for allegedly misusing his government position to benefit a campaign donor. Paxton, a household name to many Texans, had been under fraud indictment since 2015, but thanks to his legal maneuvering, his charges were eventually dropped last year.
The other issue that divides the Texas Republican Party is the issue of public versus private education. Many on the insurgent right want to introduce a voucher system to Texas, which opponents argue would essentially pull resources from public schools and use that money to fund private schools, which are often run for-profit.
Opponents of this move argue that small Texas school districts would not be able to survive, and it would create a two-tiered system of education. However, supports of this voucher system argue that it would incentivize the development of new educational opportunities for Texans both urban and rural.
While the Texas House remains under the control of this moderate wing of the Republican Party, this upcoming session will likely be filled with many public fights about these issues.