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Democratic Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos joins crowded Texas House speaker race

Rodríguez Ramos faces an uphill battle, as Democrats are the minority party with 64 seats in the 150-member Texas House.

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State Rep. Ana-Maria Rodríguez Ramos, D-Richardson, speaks at a Texas House Progressive Caucus press conference at the Capitol on Sept. 20, 2021.
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune

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A Texas House Democrat is joining the crowded field to challenge Republican Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, for the speakership.

Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, D-Richardson, told The Texas Tribune she felt energized to run for the leadership post after attending the National Democratic Convention and speaking to grassroots activists around the state.

“Michelle Obama stated a call of action and said, ‘Don't sit around and complain, do something,’” Rodríguez Ramos said. “So I decided to run for speaker of the House.”

Democrats are the minority party, with 64 seats in the 150-member Texas House, so Rodríguez Ramos faces an uphill battle. Despite that, Rodríguez Ramos is confident that Democrats can flip the house this November.

“We need every voter to not only come out and vote for the national level,” Rodríguez Ramos said. “But also vote to change this extremist agenda that's been advancing here in Texas.”

She said Democrats are unified with her, unlike state Republicans.

As of Friday, five state House Republicans were challenging Phelan, who has served as speaker since 2021: John Smithee, R-Amarillo; Shelby Slawson, R-Stephenville; Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress; James Frank, R-Wichita Falls; and David Cook, R-Mansfield.

Phelan narrowly survived a primary challenge backed by his party’s rightmost flank after supporting the 2023 impeachment of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton on corruption and bribery charges. Phelan was also criticized for not taking a more active approach to pass school vouchers.

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Phelan won the gavel in 2021 and again in 2023 with widespread bipartisan support. Rodríguez Ramos, who voted present, was the only Democrat to not vote for Phelan in 2023.

"It's not his personality; it's his politics,” she said.

Rodríguez Ramos said the contested speakership race shows how chaotic Republicans have become. She pointed to Republicans' legislative priorities, which she said don’t represent all Texans, and compared the State GOP priorities to “Project 2025.”

“I am the right Democrat to help us as we stop this extremist agenda,” Rodríguez Ramos said.

As speaker, Rodríguez Ramos said she would work across the aisle and vowed not to shut down debates like the Republicans did last legislative session.

“Bipartisanship is important because Texas has Republicans, Democrats, and independents,” Rodríguez Ramos said. “They all have a valuable voice.”

Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections

  • When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?

    Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.

  • What’s on the ballot for the general election?

    In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
    This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices: -1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz) - 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners - 15 State Senators - 7 State Board of Education members - 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court - 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals - 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
    - Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot: - Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts - County Courts at Law - Justices of the Peace - District Attorneys - County Attorneys - Sheriffs - Constables - Tax Assessor-Collectors

  • How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?

    You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.

  • How do I register to vote if I haven’t?

    You can request a postage-paid application through the mail or find one at county voter registrars’ offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county.
    Applications must be postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline. Download your application here.
    Additionally, you can register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license. You may be able to register to vote online if you’re also allowed to renew your license online. This is the only form of online registration in the state.
    After you register to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. It’ll contain your voter information, including the Voter Unique Identifier number needed to update your voter registration online. If the certificate has incorrect information, you’ll need to note corrections and send it to your local voter registrar as soon as possible.
    The voter registration certificate can also be used as a secondary form of ID when you vote if you don’t have one of the seven state-approved photo IDs

  • What can I do if I have questions about voting?

    You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State's helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition has hotlines available in other languages. Disability Rights Texas also assists voters with disabilities.

  • Read more
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Politics Dade Phelan Texas House of Representatives