Texas Tribune: “Texas GOP Chair Allen West said Monday that the state party ‘will not support, nor accept’ state Rep. Dade Phelan as the next speaker of the Texas House, after the Beaumont Republican said last week he has the votes to win the gavel. In an email to supporters, West took issue with the fact that Democrats had backed Phelan even though Republicans retained a majority in the 150-member lower chamber after Election Day.”
“Phelan said last week he had support from a ‘supermajority of the Republican caucus’ and a ‘broad coalition of support’ from Democrats. That support, should it hold until January when the Legislature convenes, would mean Phelan has more than enough votes needed to become the next speaker when House members elect a leader as one of the chamber’s first orders of business. ‘Texas will not allow the undermining of our ‘Texas Republic.’ This is why the Republican Party of Texas is perplexed, and will not support, a potential Texas Speaker of the House who would seek affirmation from progressive socialist Democrats to attain that position,’ West wrote, calling it ‘utterly absurd and demonstrably idiotic’ that a Republican would join with Dems to lead the GOP-controlled House. West does not get to vote on the next speaker since he is not a House member.”