BEAUMONT, Texas — House Speaker Dade Phelan has declared victory over his challenger in a runoff election widely seen as a bellwether for the Texas Republican party.
“House District 21 is not for sale,” Phelan said to the crowd gathered to support him in Beaumont on election night.
Several Republican House members from North Texas spent time in southeast Texas campaigning for Phelan. State Representatives Jeff Leach, Morgan Meyer, Giovanni Capriglione and Jared Patterson each block-walked for him and attended his watch party.
“My wife and children have been put through an unbelievable gauntlet of mail, TV and radio [advertisements], Phelan said. "It was unacceptable. It was lies and it was deceit and we’re done with that."
Added Phelan later in his acceptance speech: “No one wants to hear this, but I think this runoff did me a favor. It gave me an opportunity to let my voters know what my real record is, what I’ve done for them for 10 years and what I’ll do for them in 2025.”
After Phelan's victory, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton – who had aggressively campaigned for Covey - released a statement saying the only way Phelan won was because Democrats voted for him.
Paxton said it's a sign Texas should force voters to register as Republican or Democrat, then only open party primaries to those who are registered.
He also issued an ultimatum to House members, using the defeat of several incumbents he'd campaigned against.
"My message to Austin is clear: to those considering supporting Dade Phelan as Speaker in 2025, ask your 15 colleagues who lost re-election how they feel about their decision now," Paxton said. "You will not return if you vote for Dade Phelan again."
Phelan was targeted by the far right of his party for voting to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton on corruption charges and failure to pass school vouchers.
Phelan got 14,574 votes (43%) on Super Tuesday to Covey’s 15,589 (46%). The third-place finisher, Alicia Davis, subsequently endorsed Covey.
Phelan, R-Beaumont, one of the highest-powered elected officials in the state. He finished second in the initial vote on Super Tuesday behind challenger David Covey, who was backed by some of Phelan’s political rivals, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Phelan was first elected to the Texas House in 2014, and he’s serving his fifth term as state representative for House District 21, covering Orange County and parts of Jefferson and Jasper counties. He was elected House Speaker in 2021.
During Phelan's two terms as speaker, the House banned abortion, legalized permitless carry, outlawed DEI initiatives, banned transgender minors from accessing procedures to help them transition and approved millions for Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star efforts at the Texas border.
But after the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton by the House, and resistance to a school voucher plan, Phelan became a target of members his own party who labeled him not conservative enough.
Former President Donald Trump and Paxton endorsed Covey. Paxton campaigned with him.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick not only contributed to Covey’s campaign but also repeatedly and loudly criticized Phelan in interviews and speeches.
Patrick and a chorus of others claim Phelan gives House Democrats too much influence because he follows tradition by allowing them to chair committees and vote on the role of speaker.
