Another former ally of House Speaker Dade Phelan has announced his support for Phelan’s challenger, David Cook.
On Monday, State Rep. David Spiller (R–Jacksboro) released a statement declaring his backing for Cook ahead of this week’s House Republican Caucus meeting to select a nominee for Speaker of the House.
“David Cook understands how important it is to appoint conservative Republicans as committee chairs in the Texas House. While some say appointing Democrats as committee chairs is necessary to work with Democrats, I disagree. As I’ve consistently stated, I don’t support Democrat chairs, I’ve never supported Democrat chairs, and I’ve never voted for Democrat chairs. Under David Cook’s leadership, we won’t have Democrat chairs in the next session. I will only support a Speaker candidate who shares that philosophy,” said Spiller.
Spiller also affirmed his commitment to following the caucus bylaws in selecting and voting for a candidate for Speaker.
The caucus vote is scheduled for Saturday, December 7, ahead of the legislative session. To secure the nomination, a candidate must receive two-thirds support in the first two rounds of the secret ballot vote. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the requirement drops to three-fifths.
In September, a coalition of reform-minded current and incoming Republican House members convened to rally behind a single challenger. Spiller is now the 47th Republican to publicly endorse Cook—a majority of the Republican Caucus, which will consist of 88 members when the new legislature is sworn in.
The final vote for Speaker will take place on the opening day of the session, January 14.
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