David Cook makes bid for speaker of the house

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By James Barragan

The Texas Tribune

Mansfield Republican David Cook said Tuesday he intends to run for Texas House Speaker, becoming the third person to challenge the chamber’s current leader, Beaumont Republican Dade Phelan.

Cook, who has served two terms in the House since 2021, made his announcement in an email to Republican incumbents and nominees seeking election to the chamber next year. The news was first reported by The Texan, a state politics news website.

In his email, Cook committed to naming only Republicans as leaders of House committees, a crucial point to hard right GOP leaders who feel Phelan has ceded too much power to Democrats by continuing the chamber’s long-standing tradition of naming members of both parties to lead the legislative panels.

But Cook said Democrats will “have the opportunity work their bills and see them considered fairly, as preserving the rights of the minority party remains part of facilitating the orderly transactions of business in the Texas House.”

State Reps. Tom Oliverson of Cyprus and Shelby Slawson of Stephenville have also thrown their hats in the ring.

Phelan has come under fire from grassroots social conservatives for being insufficiently conservative and working too closely with Democrats. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been a major Phelan critic and has helped fuel criticisms that Phelan works with Democrats to hold up conservative legislation, even as the House has passed landmark legislation loosening gun restrictions and tightening abortion laws under his leadership.

Cook said that a lack of communication between House leadership and members of the GOP caucus has stifled progress and caused frustration. He pledged to be “actively engaged and present” in the chamber’s daily workings.

“Leadership means not only setting the direction, but also being in the arena alongside each of you,” Cook said. “My philosophy is rooted in returning the power to the Members and fostering an environment where we can work together effectively.”

Cook said political infighting, breakdowns in communication and a lack of transparency have left the GOP with a splintered caucus in the House. He said he wants to rebuild trust, maintain integrity and find unity within the caucus, which is expected to maintain a majority in the chamber in this November’s elections.

Without naming Phelan, Cook said “change at the top is needed to better align with the priorities of our Members and the people of Texas.”

Cook also hinted that he would reform legislative processes in the chamber’s rules that “slow our work.”

Notably, Phelan has taken heat from the right flank of his party for his support of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment in the House, and for not taking a more active approach to pass school vouchers.

Cook voted in favor of Paxton’s impeachment though he later corrected his vote to say he would have voted “no” on three of the 20 articles related to misuse of public resources, disregard of official duty and making false statements on official records. He also voted against a measure that removed school vouchers from an education funding bill.

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