Texas House Speaker Will Give Up Gavel

A major change is about to occur in the Texas legislature, and that will be great news for Donald Trump.

Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan has announced that he will not be running for Speaker in the upcoming session.

Impeaching Paxton

Phelan and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have been at odds for years, which culminated in Paxton being impeached by Phelan, something that is virtually unheard of in today’s partisan political world.

When Phelan went after Paxton, he not only went to war with Paxton, but he also became the enemy of MAGA, as Paxton and Trump have been buddies since Trump first entered the political scene.

Even though Phelan managed to get Paxton impeached in the House, it fell apart in the Senate, and Paxton put Phelan on notice.

During his re-election campaign, Phelan took aim at Paxton in his campaign ads, discussing, among other allegations, Paxton’s alleged affair, concluding, “If Paxton will break an oath to his wife and God, why would he tell Trump — or you — the truth?”

He’s Out

Phelan had to know that he would get significant resistance from Paxton loyalists, and there are quite a few of them in the state House.

So, he decided not to run for Speaker again, stating, “Out of deep respect for this institution and its members, and after careful consideration and private consultation with colleagues, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the race for Speaker of the Texas House.

“By stepping aside, I believe we create the best opportunity for our members to rally around a new candidate who will uphold the principles that make our House one of the most exceptional, deliberative legislative bodies in the country—a place where honor, integrity, and the right of every member to vote their district takes utmost precedent.”

With Phelan now out of the way, the two leading candidates to take the gavel are State Representative Duston Burrown (R-Lubbock) and David Cook (R-Mansfield).

What Does This Mean for Trump?

Phelan has been at odds with the Abbott administration for some time, which means he is at odds with Donald Trump and his agenda.

This has just been a petty fight, but it has held up some legislation and created some issues for Republicans in the state legislature.

Donald Trump wants to give local and state law enforcement more authority, something that could have been challenged by Phelan. We know Abbott will support whatever Trump wants him to do, so on that front, this is pretty big for the incoming administration.

As a Texan, I am glad to see him step aside and, hopefully, stop the drama so these people can get to work doing what we elected them to office to do.