Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan Wins Renomination in Bitter Republican Primary Runoff
The Speaker of the Texas House, Dade Phelan, emerged victorious in a hard-fought runoff election on Tuesday, defeating a Republican primary challenger backed by former President Donald J. Trump and his Texas supporters. The race, which took place in a southeast Texas district encompassing part of Beaumont, was marked by intense political drama and record-breaking campaign spending.
Millions of dollars poured into the campaigns, with wealthy donors from both within and outside of Texas throwing their support behind the candidates. Despite initially trailing in the first round of voting, Mr. Phelan managed to rally his supporters and secure a significant fundraising advantage over his opponent, David Covey, a first-time candidate with ties to the oil and gas industry.
In a speech to his supporters in Orange, Texas, Mr. Covey expressed pride in his campaign’s efforts, even in defeat, stating that they had sparked a movement. Meanwhile, Mr. Phelan declared victory in Beaumont, denouncing the attacks against him as based on “lies” and “deceit,” and asserting that his district was not for sale.
The close call for Mr. Phelan, who had not faced a challenger in a decade, is expected to have lasting implications for Republican politics in Texas. Many conservative activists view him as too moderate, particularly due to his support for bipartisan committee chairmanships. The battle over Mr. Phelan’s seat reflects a larger struggle within the Republican Party to shift the Texas House further to the right, in alignment with the more conservative Texas Senate.
While Mr. Phelan is likely to win re-election in his heavily Republican district in November, his future as speaker of the Texas House remains uncertain. Several Republican representatives have been suggested as potential replacements, setting the stage for a potential power struggle within the state legislature. The outcome of this race underscores the ongoing tensions within the Texas GOP and the broader implications for the party’s direction in the state.
