Attorney General Ken Paxton to stop in Tyler

TYLER- Attorney General Ken Paxton’s visit to the Rose City will be part of a state-wide tour on January 6th and 7th.

His tour is in conjunction with Republican Party of Texas Chairman Abraham George, which will include stops in key districts across the state. Paxton said in a press release that the tour aims to draw attention to representatives he believes have “fallen short of upholding conservative principles in the past and are reportedly working for a speaker not elected by a Republican majority.”

In the race for Speaker of the House, Governor Greg Abbott and others, including the Smith county Republican Club, have signaled their support for Representative David Cook of Mansfield, Texas. Cook is declared as the endorsed candidate by the House GOP Caucus. The Smith County club’s support was announced December 19the during an emergency meeting where members unanimously approved to unite behind the GOP’s nominee. Other representatives in East Texas, however, have shown support for Cook’s opponent, Representative Dustin Burrows of Lubbock. Among them are District 5 State Republican Representative Cole Hefner of Mount Pleasant.

According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, the process for electing the speaker of the Texas House of representatives begins with separate caucus meetings for the Republican and Democratic parties where members nominate and endorse their preferred candidates.The GOP typically hods a majority, both parties participate. On the first day of the legislative session, all 150 House members vote to elect the Speaker, with the candidate needing a majority of 76 votes to win. While the initial voting is based on party caucus support, bipartisan backing can influence the election, especially if there is division within a party. If no candidate secures a majority, additional rounds of voting take place until a Speaker is elected. The Speaker plays a crucial role in determining the legislative agenda, committee assignments, and overall governance of the House.

Attorney General Paxton’s stop will take place from 6PM to 7:30 PM at the Holiday Inn in Tyler on Broadway Avenue. The Attorney General said Hefner, House district 7 State rep. Jay Dean, and House District 8 State Rep Cody Harris are among the representatives ‘ who have yet to confirm they will support a speaker elected by a Republican majority.” He further commented that the upcoming tour is “about accountability”, and added that Governor Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Texas voters “spoke this past year”.

“They expect a Republican-led majority to elect a speaker by a majority of Republican state representatives,” said Paxton in a press release. “Incumbents who made similar ill-fated decisions two years ago, including wrongfully attempting to impeach me, are not returning this legislative session. Take this as a warning. If you’re making deals with Democrats to block a Republican majority-elected speaker, expect a primary challenge. Texans deserve leadership that reflects their values. There is still time for these incumbents to make the right decision”