State Representative John Smithee (R-Amarillo) ended his bid to become Texas House Speaker and has now backed David Cook (R-Mansfield) in an attempt to oust incumbent Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont).

Smithee confirmed his exit in a joint statement with four other representatives who had sought to oust Phelan. According to the statement, 48 members and nominees for the state house gathered in Austin to choose among the five candidates seeking to oust Phelan.

According to some reports, Smithee had been the favorite through several rounds of voting, where attendees whittled the choices down to Cook and Smithee. Eventually, though, Smithee chose to drop his bid and back Cook.

Cook was first elected to the state house in 2020. Unlike Smithee, Cook voted in favor of impeaching Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, though he has pledged to oppose awarding committee chairmanships to Democrats, a practice embraced by Phelan.