Mansfield lawmaker emerges as sole Republican challenger to Phelan in House speaker race

AUSTIN — State Rep. David Cook, the former mayor of Mansfield, emerged Friday as the consensus alternative to House Speaker Dade Phelan following prolonged closed-door voting among dissident Republicans seeking to oust the incumbent leader.

The Sept. 20 private meeting at a popular Austin barbecue restaurant stretched for hours before participants ultimately chose the 53-year-old North Texan over other announced contenders who had signaled their intentions to challenge Phelan for the top job in the House.

Cook became the consensus candidate after the front-runner, long-time Rep. John Smithee of Amarillo, pulled himself out of contention to clear the way for a united front against Phelan, who is seeking to reclaim his hold on the speakership after surviving a hard-fought reelection challenge for his southeast Texas House seat during the May Republican runoffs.

In a statement following the meeting, Cook thanked his fellow challengers for their "diligent work" and said he was honored to have the support of over half of his Republican colleagues in the Legislature.

"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.

Staunchly conservative Republicans both in and out of the House have been increasingly critical of Phelan's leadership, including his inclusion of Democrats to chair certain committees. Well before Cook emerged as his potential opponent, the speaker fired off a scathing statement calling the Austin gathering at The County Line restaurant "little more than an orchestrated scheme to generate headlines and fuel social media clicks, driving our caucus headlong into unnecessary chaos."

"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 needed to become Speaker again come January," Phelan, who has served as speaker since 2021, said.

Republicans, who have led the Texas House of Representatives since 2003, hold an 86-64 majority over Democrats during the current session and are certain to retain power after the November election, although the numbers may change slightly.

Cook secured as many as 48 votes in Friday's closed Republican session, meaning he is still well short of the needed 76-majority necessary to elect the speaker when House members from both parties choose their leader on the opening day of the next legislative session in January.

Cook said he is committed to "integrity, transparency and a focus on unity" as he works toward securing the Republican caucus' nomination in December and the votes he needs to become speaker.

"I will work tirelessly to solidify the support needed within our caucus and, after that, to unite the House in order to efficiently lead as Speaker," Cook said. "This is not just about one person; it's about a movement that will reshape Texas for the better."

As Friday's meeting began to break up, Cook's backers were confident they will be able to put together a triumphant coalition to propel him into the leadership over the current incumbent.

"There will be a new speaker of the House, and that person's inside there right now," said Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, as he emerged from the meeting that he helped put together. Cook was also expected to appear afterward but left without making himself available to reporters.

Smithee, 73, a member of the House since 1985, was the narrow first choice in an initial vote but took himself out of the running to clear the path for Cook.

"At the end of the day, we all came together because we wanted to be unified," Smithee told reporters. "And this was not about rejecting Dade" but "feeling that this is about a new direction for the state of Texas. We're really excited that we've got somebody that we can all gather around, rally around."

Cook declared his candidacy in a statement to colleagues in early September, asserting that the chamber under Phelan has become an arena for "political infighting, breakdowns in communication and a lack of transparency."

In outlining his goals for the speakership, Cook vowed a hands-on leadership in the "daily workings of our chamber" and vowed that Democrats will no longer serve as committee chairs, though their legislative goals will be treated fairly in the Republican-led chamber.

During the 2023 session, Phelan blocked an effort by a small group of conservative Republicans to end a long-standing tradition of allowing members of the Democratic minority party to also chair committees alongside Republicans.

"It's time to ensure that leadership better reflects the will of the majority party," Cook said in announcing his challenge. "This includes a shift to a Republican committee chair model. However, Democratic members will still have the opportunity to work their bills and see them considered fairly, as preserving the rights of the minority party remains part of facilitating the orderly transaction of business in the Texas House."

Cook has not been considered part of the conservative cadre that has been stridently critical of Phelan's speakership, especially in the wake of impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton. Cook voted in favor of Paxton's impeachment , later stating he would have voted against moving forward with three of the 20 s, according to the Texas Tribune.

In his letter to representatives, Cook made it clear that he was dissatisfied with the current state of affairs under Phelan. Lack of communication between leadership and the caucus has stifled progress and caused frustration among members, he said.

"If we are not careful, we're on our way to turning into Washington, D.C.," he said. "The current state of the Republican caucus is of grave concern. Internal strife threatens to weaken our leadership and distract us from the work we were elected to do."

Dave Montgomery is a freelance reporter for the Fort Worth Report.

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