AUSTIN, Texas– The Republican speaker of the Texas House on Friday abandoned his efforts to retain his powerful post, despite relentless pressure from the party’s far right and anger over the historic impeachment last year from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Dade Phelan’s decision, a victory for the Republican Party’s rising right flank, sets off a fight over who will be his successor at a time when Texas Republicans are eager to be a policy model for President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda .
The Texas House has long functioned as a more moderate guardrail, even as lawmakers under Phelan passed some of the nation’s toughest restrictions. abortion, immigration And to vote.
But Paxton’s impeachment in the House of Representatives last year over corruption charges angered conservatives and drew a rebuke from Trump, leaving Phelan in an expensive battle just to win reelection and a disappearing path to becoming one of to maintain the most powerful positions in Texas.
“By stepping aside, I believe we create the best opportunity for our members to rally around a new candidate who will uphold the principles that make our House one of the most exceptional, deliberative legislative bodies in the country.” , Phelan said in a statement.
Phelan’s campaign to keep the job reflected a broader power struggle within the Republican Party, which expanded its already dominant majorities in the Texas Legislature in the November elections.
Paxton ended up being that acquitted in the Senate. Shortly afterwards, Paxton’s allies launched one aggressive campaign to oust Phelan in the Texas primary, but fell short in a runoff.
Tensions over the speaker’s race have shown a growing influence of emboldened far-right conservatism in the Statehouse. The opposition to Phelan that began after his involvement in Paxton’s impeachment intensified after the House of Representatives failed to pass a school voucher bill last year.
Pressure increased after the election when several Republicans who campaigned on their opposition to Phelan and support for school vouchers won their races and ousted many of the speaker’s allies.
Phelan will continue serving his term as representative for Beaumont, Texas, a city northeast of Houston.
Texas has become a leader in conservative legislation ahead of other Republican Party-controlled states across the country and its border security tactics will probably be a model for the incoming Trump administration.
Texas banned almost everything abortions after the Supreme Court overturned and has overturned Roe v. Wade gender-affirming care prohibited for transgender youth. More than 30 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced ahead of next year’s session that would restrict teaching on sexuality, bathroom use and medical care for transgender people.
The Texas House will formally elect a speaker once the session begins in January.
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Lathan is a staff member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.