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Last Week in Texas
Mark McCaig
Lubbock Republican Dustin Burrows emerged the winner of the most contentious race for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives in decades, defeating fellow Republican David Cook on a second ballot by a vote of 85-55, with 9 members registering as “Present, Not Voting.”
Democrat State Representative Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos was eliminated after the first round of voting, where she received 23 votes. Rodriguez Ramos was among the Democrats who supported Cook in the second round of voting.
Burrows, who is serving his sixth term in the Texas House, has previously held key leadership roles, having led the Calendars Committee during the past two legislative sessions and the Ways and Means Committee during the 2019 session.
In the weeks leading up to the vote for Speaker, Burrows and his supporters were targeted by a well-funded smear campaign from the Republican Party of Texas and organizations tied to billionaire donor Tim Dunn. The attack ads and mailers, which included false claims that lawmakers were making deals with Democrats to gain power, appear to have backfired.
Although both Cook and Burrows solicited support from Democrats in their campaigns, Burrows publicly stated that he had not made concessions to Democrats. In an interview with the Texas Tribune, Burrows said, “No concessions have been made. That would be illegal, and it’d be unethical, and I would never vote for a speaker who made concessions.”
While many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle spoke positively of Cook and his commitment to public service, the aggressive and frequently dishonest tactics used by groups outside of the House that supported Cook appeared largely to have the effect of moving legislators who had been on the fence into Burrows’ camp. Cook publicly denounced some of these tactics, most notably when a political action committee run by Chris Ekstrom– a former Congressional candidate who had been awarded the “Conservative Leader Award” by Texas Scorecard- sent text messages attacking lawmakers that included their personal cell phone numbers.
Freshman State Representative Caroline Fairly of Amarillo, who had previously been pledged to Cook, discussed the “misleading campaigns” directed at Burrows and his supporters in a public statement announcing that she would be voting for Burrows. Fairly’s statement was first reported publicly by Brad Johnson of The Texan.
Burrows has been one of the most vocal proponents of the “Texas Conservative Commitment”, a ten-point conservative policy agenda for the new legislative session. In a statement last month reiterating his support for the Texas Conservative Commitment, Burrows said, “As a champion of this agenda, I’m committed to working with House members in preparing to have legislation ready to go on day one to ensure we get it across the finish line next session. I appreciate the work of the lawmakers and their dedication to achieving these priorities, which will continue to transform the future of Texas for the better.”
The statement also said that Burrows had “begun working with lawmakers to pass legislation to strengthen our border security, empower parents through universal school choice, and find additional ways to further reduce property taxes for Texans.”
In remarks delivered after his election, Burrows focused on the theme of the Texas House of Representatives as “the People’s House.”
“Whether your district is urban or rural, coastal or border, your constituents sent you here to ensure their children can prosper, their communities can grow, and their hope for the future does not diminish. I commit to you today: every member- every member- will have a voice. Every district- every district- will have a seat at the table,” said Burrows.
Burrows, who has previously expressed his belief that the Speaker should not “put their thumb on the scale” when it comes to the rules of the Texas House, also reiterated that position in his remarks. Burrows stated, “The rules that govern this chamber are designed to protect members from the speaker, not the other way around. The rules exist to guarantee open and respectful policy debates, as is fitting for such a representative body. They ensure the majority can rule while the minority has its voice.”
Burrows concluded his remarks by stressing his desire to work with all members of the Texas House, including those who voted against him, for the betterment of Texas.
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