The new state party chair inserts himself in legislative politics. Which they generally don't do.
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In an email to supporters, West took issue with the fact that Democrats had backed Phelan even though Republicans retained a majority in the 150-member lower chamber after Election Day.
Phelan said last week he had support from a "supermajority of the Republican caucus" and a "broad coalition of support" from Democrats. That support, should it hold until January when the Legislature convenes, would mean Phelan has more than enough votes needed to become the next speaker when House members elect a leader as one of the chamber's first orders of business.
. . . Phelan filed paperwork to run for speaker after a group of GOP members gathered and picked the lawmaker as their preferred candidate. Phelan announced he had the support needed to win the race days later at a news conference at the Texas Capitol and hours after Republicans easily fended off a well-funded challenge from Democrats to flip control of the House. A group of Republicans did not immediately sign onto Phelan's list of supporters, though that seemed to change by the next day when state Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, said she was dropping out of the race and backing Phelan.
The House GOP Caucus is still slated to meet in December, per its bylaws, to select a speaker candidate within the group and then vote as a bloc on the floor, though there is no enforcement mechanism. Phelan is expected to be the group's preferred candidate.
West also argued that Phelan would appoint Democrats to chair House committees "who will undermine [and] kill our legislative priorities, as happened in the 87th Texas legislative session." Bonnen, who is retiring after a political scandal last summer, received criticism from other Republicans for tapping Democrats to chair high-profile committees, such as the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee.
