Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the Houston Democrat first elected in 1972, said Friday she has the votes to become speaker of the Texas House, and Dallas lawmakers figure prominently among her early supporters.
The Texas Tribune reported that Thompson's list has 90 backers, eight of them Republicans. Among her first named supporters, the Tribune listed six Dallas Democrats: Reps. Anchía, Jessica González, Toni Rose, Bryant, Davis and Rodríguez Ramos. Her only declared rival, Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., dropped out and endorsed her.
The House elects its speaker when the Legislature convenes in January, so the outcome is not final. The House Republican Caucus has not endorsed a candidate, and its chair, Tom Oliverson, told the Tribune he expects most of the caucus to serve as "an opposition party next session."
If Thompson wins, she would be the first woman and first Black speaker, and Texas would have women in all three top leadership posts for the first time, alongside Democrats Gina Hinojosa as governor and Vikki Goodwin as lieutenant governor, whose wins rest on race calls rather than canvassed totals.
Our Denton edition has the full story: https://denton.city/article/texas-could-have-its-first-all-female-big-three-as-thompson-says-she-has-votes-for-house-speaker
