Our Local Representative Part of an Interesting Political Battle

Stan Kitzman, Fayette County’s representative in the Texas House of Representatives, was among the Republican members who defied the House GOP Caucus over the weekend by siding with Dustin Burrows for Speaker of the House.

On Saturday, Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock, claimed he has enough votes with the help of Democrats to succeed Dade Phelan for the speaker position. His announcement followed a contentious meeting by the House GOP Caucus in which 26 members walked out in support of Burrows. Kitzman was among those 26, and he stood alongside Burrows on Saturday during the announcement.

The House GOP Caucus rules require members to vote for the speaker candidate endorsed by the 88-member caucus. Burrows did not appear to have enough support within his party to win the endorsement.

Following the walk-out, the caucus voted 48-14 to endorse Rep. David Cook of Mansfield, who had been Burrows’ biggest rival.

Burrows now claims to have 76 supporters - 38 Republicans and 38 Democrats, which is the minimum number needed to win the Speaker’s seat. The position comes with great power. The Speaker of the Texas House essentially sets the legislative agenda by determining which bills come up for a vote.

But some of the members on Burrows’ list have since come out to say they should not have been included. It remains to be seen how they will vote when the House gavels into session next month.

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who heads the Senate, supports Cook for Speaker. Patrick had opposed Phelan over the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton and the practice of allowing Democrats to serve as committee chairs without a majority. Fayette County’s representative in the Senate, Lois Kolkhorst, is one of Patrick’s biggest allies.

Over the weekend, Texas Republican Party Chairman Abraham George vowed to oppose any House Republicans who defied the caucus in their next primary elections. That could put Kitzman in a precarious position when he comes up for election in two years.

This isn’t the first time for Kitzman to break his party’s leadership. He was among the House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton in 2023.