Houston, Texas: Senfronia Thompson Says She Has the Votes to Become First Woman and Black Texas House Speaker

State Representative Senfronia Thompson of Houston said on Friday that she has enough votes to become the next speaker of the Texas House, a post no woman and no Black lawmaker has ever held in the state. Thompson, 87, made the announcement at a news conference at the Texas Capitol in Austin, flanked by dozens of Democratic lawmakers and at least three Republicans.

"The bottom line is, the majority of the House has pledged to me," Thompson said. About two hours after the news conference ended, she released a list of 90 House members who she said have pledged to support her. The list includes eight Republicans. A speaker needs a simple majority, 76 of the chamber's 150 votes, and the House will elect its speaker on January 12, the first day of the 90th legislative session.

Thompson is the longest serving woman in Texas House history and, per The Texas Tribune, the longest serving Black legislator in any state. She was first elected in 1972 and took office in 1973. The next session will be her 28th.

A rival steps aside

Her announcement came hours after State Representative Eddie Morales Jr. of Eagle Pass, her only remaining rival for the post, dropped his bid and endorsed her. Morales had announced his own candidacy on November 5. He said he believes Thompson understands the role border and rural communities played in turning Texas blue, and that the border coalition will have a voice in her administration.

State Representative Rafael Anchia of Dallas described her majority as overwhelming and growing. Election results compiled by The Associated Press show Democrats projected to win 79 Texas House seats, with 63 seats held by Republicans and eight races too close to call as of November 6.

The majority that made it possible

Thompson launched her run for speaker around midnight on election night. On November 3, Democrats swept every statewide seat on the Texas ballot and won their first majority in the Texas House since 2003. The shift all but ensures that Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican who has led the chamber for one term, will lose the gavel. The last Democrat to hold it was Pete Laney of Hale Center.

Thompson said the House would not be a dictatorship under her watch. She said she would appoint members of both parties to chair committees, resuming a tradition the Burrows led House scrapped. "I'm not here to punish anybody. I did that when I was a parent," she said. Lawmakers who stood with her on Friday named education, property taxes and healthcare as the work ahead.

State Representative Drew Darby of San Angelo, one of the Republicans present, said, "I'm encouraged by her words about bipartisanship." House Republican Caucus chair Tom Oliverson of Cypress said he expects most Republicans to hold together behind a caucus endorsed candidate, not yet chosen.

A historic first, and an all women Big Three

The speaker appoints committee chairs and controls the flow of legislation, one of the most powerful posts in Texas government. If her coalition holds through January, Thompson will join Governor elect Gina Hinojosa and Lieutenant Governor elect Vikki Goodwin at the top of state government. The three top offices, known as the Big Three, have never all been held by women in Texas.

Known to colleagues as Ms. T, Thompson built her reputation over five decades backing measures to raise the minimum wage, support victims of sexual abuse and protect LGBTQ+ people from hate crimes. Supporters said her record of enforcing decorum is part of her appeal across party lines.