Phelan wins re-election, seeks speaker post again

House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, narrowly won re-election in a hotly contested runoff race and has vowed to seek his third term as speaker, drawing threats from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to oppose any of his supporters in the 2024 primary.

“I’ve done it twice, Phelan told The Dallas Morning News. “I’ll do it a third time.” But Patrick was quick to threaten opposition to any representative supporting Phelan’s bid.

“My message to Austin is clear: to those considering supporting Dade Phelan as speaker in 2025, ask your 15 colleagues who lost reelection how they feel about their decision now,” Paxton said in a statement. “You will not return if you vote for Dade Phelan again.”