Texas Rep. David Cook from Mansfield announced Tuesday he intends to challenge Dade Phelan in the Texas House Speaker race. He is the third Republican to announce he will seek the position of the House’s leader.
Cook sent a letter to Republican incumbents and nominees seeking election to the House, and the email was first retrieved by The Texan, news website.
“The current state of the Republican caucus is of grave concern,” Cook said in the letter. “Internal strife threatens to weaken our leadership and distract us from the work we were elected to do.”
In the letter, he said he would commit to only appoint Republicans as leaders of House committees. Numerous Republicans blasted Phelan for appointing a few Democrats as committee chairs.
However, Cook added that 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.”
“My presence and engagement will reflect the deep commitment I hold to each of you and the people of Texas,” he added in the letter.
Cook has served two terms in the Texas House since 2021, and previously was the mayor of Mansfield, from 2008 to 2021.
State Reps. Tom Oliverson of Cyprus and Shelby Slawson have also said they would seek to become Speaker of the House.
Phelan was heavily attacked by the hard right wing of his party for voting to impeach Paxton, not doing enough to pass vouchers, and appointing a few Democrats as committee chairs. Paxton targeted Phelan in the primaries, and he almost managed to oust the Speaker by supporting his opponent.
Cook in his letter said that the recent infighting in the state GOP left the party with a splintered caucus in the House. He said he wanted to rebuild trust in the party.
“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.”
