Dustin Burrows Elected Texas House Speaker, Defeating Cook with Democratic Support

Jan 14, 2025, 09:03 PM

On Tuesday, Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock, was elected Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives after a runoff election, becoming one of the most powerful figures in state government. Burrows secured 85 votes, defeating Rep. David Cook who received 55 votes, with 9 abstentions. The election proceeded to a second round after Burrows received 71 votes in the first ballot, five votes short of the required majority. His victory, seen as a rebuff to the far-right insurgent movement within the GOP, was achieved with significant support from Democrats despite a majority of the Texas GOP Caucus voting for Cook. Burrows, a compromise candidate for Democrats and moderate Republicans, supports universal school choice and is expected to play a critical role in deciding legislative priorities during the new session.