Free Republic

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan barely survived his re-election bid in state House District 21, eking out a less than 400-vote victory in the Republican primary runoff where both candidates earned more than 12,000 votes. But other Texas state House incumbents didn't fare as well. Between the Republican primaries in March and the primary runoffs in May, 15 incumbent Texas state House Republicans lost their re-election bids, including nine during the primaries and six in the runoffs. "The Texas legislature now has enough votes to pass School Choice," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, declared on the heels of the...

A group of 46 Republican House members and nominees pledged Friday to only back a speaker next session who commits to ending the tradition of appointing Democratic committee chairs — a move that narrows the path to the gavel for House Speaker Dade Phelan, who has vowed to continue the longstanding practice. To be elected speaker, a House member must secure 76 votes, a majority of the 150-seat chamber. Democrats control 64 seats, meaning a speaker hopeful could theoretically win with full Democratic support and around a dozen of the 86 Republicans. To prevent this scenario, Phelan’s rivals have called...

Phelan will be returning to the Legislature in 2025 with far fewer friends and far more emboldened enemies. Despite the cigar and bravado on display at his victory party Tuesday night, Phelan and his cohort suffered heavy losses to the rightwing. Six of the eight House incumbents mired in runoffs lost. Those losses follow the incumbent bloodbath in the March primaries, in which half a dozen Phelan allies were defeated by challengers backed by Paxton and/or Governor Greg Abbott. One of the main jobs of the speaker is to keep his members in office. The king must protect the kingmakers....

Will Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan hang onto his seat? And will Gov. Greg Abbott succeed in ousting Republicans who blocked his school choice voucher plan? Those are the big questions on the eve of Tuesday’s primary runoff elections in Texas. In order to keep his speakership, Phelan first has to win his primary runoff race in his home district Tuesday against GOP challenger David Covey. "It is a real knife fight there on the coast," said Scott Braddock, editor of quorumreport.com. Former President Trump has endorsed Covey, and Attorney General Ken Paxton blasted Phelan on social media Monday, exactly...

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton railed against House Speaker Dade Phelan at the Texas Republican Party’s convention Thursday in San Antonio, predicting voters would oust him in Tuesday’s primary runoff election. Phelan is fighting to keep his political career alive in a contentious race against oil and gas consultant David Covey. Patrick, Paxton and Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi have all been instrumental in the campaign to unseat Phelan, a five-term Republican from Beaumont, and have derided him as a fake Republican who has handed too much power to Democrats.

On a rainy Wednesday in Dallas, powerful Republican donors gathered at the home of billionaire Kelcy Warren to help save the political career of House Speaker Dade Phelan. The speaker of the House is considered a titan of Texas politics, wielding the power to shape legislation, appoint committee leaders and amass a robust campaign fund to spend on protecting incumbents and other allies. That power wasn’t enough to protect Phelan from a surprisingly strong challenge by David Covey, who rode support from former President Donald Trump to a top finish in the March primary and forced Phelan into a precarious...

Dade Phelan incurred the wrath of Trump and other Republicans when he led the impeachment effort against state Attorney General Ken Paxton.. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and his Republican challenger David Covey, who was backed by former President Donald Trump and Attorney General Ken Paxton, will proceed to a primary runoff race in May.. Phelan and Covey were neck and neck in the results early Wednesday, while a third GOP candidate, hairdresser Alicia Davis, won far fewer votes but helped deny both candidates a majority of their party's votes. Phelan incurred the wrath of Republicans in Texas and nationally...

In a victory for Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, at least nine House Republicans appeared to have lost their primaries on Tuesday evening. Another eight members, at least, were also forced into runoffs this May 28 — including House Speaker Dade Phelan who was the No. 1 target of the far right.

Bye!

BEAUMONT — Rick Perry kind of thinks the term “RINO” — Republican in name only, that is — is “sexy.” The former Texas governor, stumping for House Speaker Dade Phelan in his Southeast Texas district last week, made light of recent accusations that he, Phelan and several other Republicans are actually RINOs. “I think it's kind of sexy, frankly,” Perry told a crowd of roughly 400 people, putting his hand on his head to mimic a rhino’s horn. “When you think about it... it’s one of the baddest boys on the block, right?” Attendees laughed in response — but then...

BEAUMONT — If past is prologue, Dade Phelan’s return to the Texas House would be all but guaranteed. Over five terms, he has never once drawn a reelection opponent, ascending to become the first House speaker from Beaumont, leading the lower chamber as it drifted further to the right. But a tumultuous 2023 exposed deep fissures within the Republican Party, exacerbated by the House’s impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton and refusal to pass a school voucher program favored by Gov. Greg Abbott. Now, Phelan is the No. 1 enemy of Texas’ far-right conservatives. Paxton and his ally Donald Trump...

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed a primary challenger to Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, the latest development in a race that has become a referendum on the power of the far-right faction of the state Republican Party. On the social media platform Truth Social, Trump announced his support for former Orange County Republican Party chair David Covey in the House District 21 race. “David is an America First Conservative who will Secure the Border, Restore Election Integrity, Protect our Families and Military/Vets, and Defend our under siege Second Amendment.” Trump criticized Phelan for supporting the impeachment of his...

In a 58-2 vote, the Republican Party of Texas approved a resolution calling on Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to resign. The resolution was approved during the State Republican Executive Committee meeting in Corpus Christi on Saturday, and cites Phelan’s embrace of the failed impeachment against Attorney General Ken Paxton as well as his appointment of Democrats to leadership positions: WHEREAS, Speaker Dade Phelan voted for the impeachment of Attorney General Warren Kenneth Paxton and through his leadership team pressured other House members to vote for the impeachment as well, and continues to defend this action....; WHEREAS, Speaker Dade Phelan...