Texas House of Representatives Chamber | Photo by Noah Dawson
Members of the Texas House of Representatives voted 145-3 keep Republican Dade Phelan as Speaker earlier today.
The three holdouts were Republicans Tony Tinderholt, Nate Schatzline, and Bryan Slaton. All three voted for Tinderholt. No representatives for districts in the Texas panhandle voted for Tinderholt.
The failed attempt to elect Tinderholt over Phelan is another blow to the state party, who had sought to end a Phelan-supported practice of appointing Democrats to chairs of house committees. Ending this policy was included as one of the legislative priorities by the state party, though it does not appear Phelan has any plans to do so.