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2024 Texas Elections

Republicans who want to oust Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan unanimously back state Rep. David Cook

Four GOP state representatives suspended their bids to challenge Phelan and 48 Republicans backed Cook, which could threaten Phelan’s shot at a third term.

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State Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, takes the oath of office with his hand on a bible on the first day of the 88th Texas legislative session on Jan 10, 2023.
State Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, takes the oath of office with his hand on a bible on the first day of the 88th Texas legislative in 2023. He is challenging Republican incumbent House Speaker Dade Phelan. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune

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In the most concerted attack to date on Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan from within the GOP House ranks, 48 representatives and nominees for House districts selected Rep. David Cook as their favored House speaker Friday. The group includes four who dropped their bids for speaker in order to consolidate support around a single candidate.

Cook, a two-term Mansfield Republican who announced his bid for speaker earlier this month, became the self-described “reform-minded” group’s consensus pick after multiple rounds of voting. When he announced his candidacy, Cook committed to appointing only Republicans to chair House committees, considered a crucial pledge to far-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.

"This vote highlights the growing momentum for change within the Texas House, as members rally behind a shared vision of a decentralized leadership model that empowers all members," Cook said in a statement.

Fellow speaker challengers James Frank, Tom Oliverson, Shelby Slawson and John Smithee issued a joint statement supporting Cook following the closed-door meeting at the County Line BBQ in Austin.

“We have suspended our campaigns for speaker and urge all of our Republican colleagues to join us in voting for Representative Cook as the Republican nominee for speaker when the caucus meets in December,” they wrote.

Phelan, who is seeking his third term in the speaker’s office, has been an open target of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Republican Party of Texas and a small segment of his caucus after the House last year impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and failed to pass education savings accounts and other conservative priorities.

Friday’s meeting among Phelan critics was an informal vote to consolidate support into one challenger. After House members are elected or reelected in November, the Texas House Republican Caucus, chaired by Oliverson, will meet in December to formally endorse their desired candidate for speaker.

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“Not only are their actions disappointing and unacceptable, they are futile, as I proudly have the clear majority votes needed to be the Speaker today, and will have the clear majority support needed to become Speaker again come January,” Phelan said in a statement Friday morning.

It will take a simple majority of the entire House, 76 votes, to be elected House speaker at the start of the legislative session in January. But the rules of the House Republican caucus instruct GOP members to vote for the group’s endorsed candidate.

To garner that endorsement, one must have support from at least three-fifths of members. Right now, there are 86 members, putting that threshold at 52. It won’t be known until after the November elections how many House members will be Republicans next year.

Friday’s vote suggests that Cook could be in reach of hitting the necessary threshold. In addition to the 48 people who supported Cook Friday, The Texan reported that he has support from six others.

However, the group includes around 20 candidates who are running for House seats but do not currently serve in the chamber. Two, Steve Kinard and former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, are running in races for competitive seats currently held by Democrats.

Grumblings within the House GOP caucus exploded after 15 Republican incumbents lost their primaries this spring, eroding confidence in Phelan’s ability to lead the chamber. Feuding between Phelan and Patrick, who serves as president of the Texas Senate, could also portend another contentious session of Republican infighting, a specter some don’t want looming over the legislative session that begins in January.

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 State government 2024 elections Dade Phelan David Cook