Changes

}}

}}

'''Joseph Richard Straus, III''', known as '''Joe Straus''' (born September 1, 1959), is a [[Moderate Republican]] state representative from [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], who has been since January 2009 the [[Speaker]] of the Texas House of Representatives. He was initially elected to the House in a special election held in January 2005 to succeed Elizabeth Ames Jones, who resigned to join the [[Texas Railroad Commission]], a post she has since vacated. A youthful admirer of the late [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]], for whom he was once a part-time chauffeur, Straus has, like Tower, supported [[pro-abortion]] interests. His critics claim that he has also undermined [[free enterprise]] economics,<ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=49917</ref> but he contends that he has been a champion for economic development, transportation, and public education.

'''Joseph Richard Straus, III''', known as '''Joe Straus''' (born September 1, 1959), is a [[Moderate Republican]] state representative from [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], who has been since January 2009 the [[Speaker]] of the Texas House of Representatives. He was initially elected to the House in a special election held in January 2005 to succeed Elizabeth Ames Jones, who resigned to join the [[Texas Railroad Commission]], a post she has since vacated. A youthful admirer of the late [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]], for whom he was once a part-time chauffeur, Straus has, like Tower, supported [[pro-abortion]] interests. His critics claim that he has also undermined [[free enterprise]] economics,<ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=49917</ref> but he contends that he has been a champion for economic development, transportation, and public education.

To win the Speakership, Straus, armed with [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] backing, unseated fellow Republican [[Tom Craddick]] of [[Midland]], Texas, the senior member of the state House and its first ever Republican Speaker, a post that he held from 2003 to 2009.

To win the Speakership, Straus, armed with [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] backing, unseated fellow Republican [[Tom Craddick]] of [[Midland]], Texas, the senior member of the state House and its first ever Republican Speaker, a post that he held from 2003 to 2009.

In the final weeks of 2010, a movement developed among some [[conservative]] Republican citizens and political figures to replace Straus as Speaker. State Republican Executive Committee member John Cook wrote in an [[e-mail]] to a colleague: "We elected a house with [[Christian]], conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it." The dissident conservatives stressed that their opposition to Straus is not because he is [[Jewish]] but that the Speaker should have [[pro-life]], pro-family values.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/09/christian-conservative-replace-jewish-speaker-texan-pols-say/</ref>

In the final weeks of 2010, a movement developed among some [[conservative]] Republican citizens and political figures to replace Straus as Speaker. State Republican Executive Committee member John Cook wrote in an [[e-mail]] to a colleague: "We elected a house with [[Christian]], conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it." The dissident conservatives stressed that their opposition to Straus is not because he is [[Jewish]] but that the Speaker should have [[pro-life]], pro-family values.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/09/christian-conservative-replace-jewish-speaker-texan-pols-say/</ref>

On January 11, 2011, the Texas House nevertheless reelected Speaker Straus, 132-15. The dissenters, including [[Bryan Hughes]] of Mineola, [[Warren Chisum]] of Pampa, and [[Ken Paxton]] of McKinney, Texas (who in 2015 became the Texas attorney general), have been termed by [[Tea Party]] activists as the "Texas 15."<ref>http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/01/tea-party-adherents-hail-the-t.html</ref>

On January 11, 2011, the Texas House nevertheless reelected Speaker Straus, 132-15. The dissenters, including [[Bryan Hughes]] of Mineola, [[Warren Chisum]] of Pampa, and [[Ken Paxton]] of McKinney, Texas (who in 2015 became the Texas attorney general and is seeking a second term in 2018), have been termed by [[Tea Party]] activists as the "Texas 15."<ref>http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/01/tea-party-adherents-hail-the-t.html</ref>

On October 25, 2017, Straus announced that he will not seek reelection in 2018 to the state House and hence will vacate the Speaker's office.<ref>Price, Bob (October 25, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/10/25/texas-house-speaker-straus-will-not-seek-re-election/ Texas House Speaker Straus Will Not Seek Re-Election]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 26, 2017.</ref> He said that his record five terms in the office has been a resounding success. No opponent had declared intentions to oppose Straus in the Republican primary scheduled for March 6, 2018. Already in the running for the Speakership are John Zerwas, a Straus loyalist from Richmond in suburban Fort Bend County near [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], and state Representative Phillip Stephen "Phil" King of Weatherford in Parker County west of [[Fort Worth]], who was first elected to the legislature in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/09/22/weatherford-lawmaker-phil-king-announces-bid-texas-house-speaker|title=Weatherford lawmaker Phil King announces bid for Texas House Speaker|publisher=''Dallas Morning News''|author=Gromer Jeffers, Jr.|date=September 22, 2017|accessdate=September 27, 2017}}</ref> A question remains as to whether the Speaker will continue to be elected by the whole membership, which can allow a Democrat-Moderate Republican majority to prevail as with Straus, or only the majority party, which would give a conservative candidate, such as King, the advantage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2017/10/25/speaker-house-joe-straus-wont-seek-reelection/|title=Texas House Speaker Joe Straus says he will not seek re-election: Straus, a San Antonio Republican, announced Wednesday he will not run for re-election. He did not rule out running for higher office|author=Matthew Watkins|publisher=''The Texas Tribune''|date=October 25, 2017|accessdate=October 26, 2017}}</ref> Also bowing out in 2018 after eight terms in the Texas House is a Straus lieutenant, [[Byron Cook]] of Corsicana in Navarro County in north central Texas, who barely won re-nomination over a conservative challenger in 2016, Thomas McNutt, heir of the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana. Cook played the leading role in killing the bathroom legislation in 2017 by keeping the bill from obtaining a committee vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kxan.com/2017/10/25/rep-byron-cook-wont-seek-re-election/|title=Rep. Byron Cook won't see reelection|publisher=KXAN.com|accessdate=October 26, 2017}}</ref> 

On October 25, 2017, Straus announced that he will not seek reelection in 2018 to the state House and hence will vacate the Speaker's office.<ref>Price, Bob (October 25, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/10/25/texas-house-speaker-straus-will-not-seek-re-election/ Texas House Speaker Straus Will Not Seek Re-Election]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 26, 2017.</ref> He said that his record five terms in the office has been a resounding success. No opponent had declared intentions to oppose Straus in the Republican primary scheduled for March 6, 2018. Already in the running for the Speakership are John Zerwas, a Straus loyalist from Richmond in suburban Fort Bend County near [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], and state Representative Phillip Stephen "Phil" King of Weatherford in Parker County west of [[Fort Worth]], who was first elected to the legislature in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/09/22/weatherford-lawmaker-phil-king-announces-bid-texas-house-speaker|title=Weatherford lawmaker Phil King announces bid for Texas House Speaker|publisher=''Dallas Morning News''|author=Gromer Jeffers, Jr.|date=September 22, 2017|accessdate=September 27, 2017}}</ref> A question remains as to whether the Speaker will continue to be elected by the whole membership, which can allow a Democrat-Moderate Republican majority to prevail as with Straus, or only the majority party, which would give a conservative candidate, such as King, the advantage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2017/10/25/speaker-house-joe-straus-wont-seek-reelection/|title=Texas House Speaker Joe Straus says he will not seek re-election: Straus, a San Antonio Republican, announced Wednesday he will not run for re-election. He did not rule out running for higher office|author=Matthew Watkins|publisher=''The Texas Tribune''|date=October 25, 2017|accessdate=October 26, 2017}}</ref> Also bowing out in 2018 after eight terms in the Texas House is a Straus lieutenant, [[Byron Cook]] of Corsicana in Navarro County in north central Texas, who barely won re-nomination over a conservative challenger in 2016, Thomas McNutt, heir of the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana. Cook played the leading role in killing the bathroom legislation in 2017 by keeping the bill from obtaining a committee vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kxan.com/2017/10/25/rep-byron-cook-wont-seek-re-election/|title=Rep. Byron Cook won't see reelection|publisher=KXAN.com|accessdate=October 26, 2017}}</ref> 

==The election to choose Straus' successor==

==The election to choose Straus' successor==

Candidates who ran in the March 6 primary to succeed Straus were Matt Beebe, a pro-life business owner and two-time former Straus opponent; Marc Whyte, a business attorney; Carlton Soules, a former member of the San Antonio City Council and an unsuccessful candidate for Bexar County judge in 2012; Charlotte Williamson, who works for her family's petroleum and natural gas company, and attorney Adrian Spears. However, ''The San Antonio Express-News'' endorsed none of these candidates but instead urged Republicans to nominate a more Moderate Republican in the Straus mold, Stephen Philip "Steve" Allison (born January 4, 1947), a partner in the Haynes and Boone law firm in San Antonio, a 12-year member of the Alamo Heights Independent School District trustees and a former VIA transit board member.<ref>"Pick Allison to replace Straus in 121", ''The San Antonio Express-News'', February 16, 2018, p. 14A.</ref>

Candidates who ran in the March 6 primary to succeed Straus were Matt Beebe, a pro-life business owner and two-time former Straus opponent; Marc Whyte, a business attorney; Carlton Soules, a former member of the San Antonio City Council and an unsuccessful candidate for Bexar County judge in 2012; Charlotte Williamson, who works for her family's petroleum and natural gas company, and attorney Adrian Spears. However, ''The San Antonio Express-News'' endorsed none of these candidates but instead urged Republicans to nominate a more moderate Republican in the Straus mold, Stephen Philip "Steve" Allison (born January 4, 1947), a partner in the Haynes and Boone law firm in San Antonio, a 12-year member of the Alamo Heights Independent School District trustees and a former VIA transit board member.<ref>"Pick Allison to replace Straus in 121", ''The San Antonio Express-News'', February 16, 2018, p. 14A.</ref>

In the primary, Matt Beebe led the field with 4,351 votes (29.5 percent) and will face the runner-up, Steve Allison, who polled 3,884 (26.3 percent), in the May 22 runoff election. Soules barely finished third with 13.2 percent of the vote. The four eliminated candidates divided the remaining 44.2 percent of the ballots cast.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/mar06_325_state.htm?x=0&y=1394&id=142|title=Election Returns|date=March 6, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=March 7, 2018}}</ref> The next month Straus endorsed Allison as his preferred successor. Beebe noted that his latest opponent opposes the failed "bathroom bill" and has hostile "views on the [[Second Amendment]], [and an] unwillingness to enable parents to have meaningful options for their children's education, or his refusal to pledge support for the Republican caucus choice for House Speaker." Beebe added that he finds "voters increasingly realizing Steve Allison is out of touch with their values."<ref>Jasper Scherer, "Sraus endorses Allison for District 121", ''The San Antonio Express-News'', April 20, 2018, p. A4.</ref>

In the primary, Matt Beebe led the field with 4,351 votes (29.5 percent) and will face the runner-up, Steve Allison, who polled 3,884 (26.3 percent), in the May 22 runoff election. Soules barely finished third with 13.2 percent of the vote. The four eliminated candidates divided the remaining 44.2 percent of the ballots cast.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/mar06_325_state.htm?x=0&y=1394&id=142|title=Election Returns|date=March 6, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=March 7, 2018}}</ref> The next month Straus endorsed Allison as his preferred successor. Beebe noted that his latest opponent opposes the failed "bathroom bill" and has hostile "views on the [[Second Amendment]], [and an] unwillingness to enable parents to have meaningful options for their children's education, or his refusal to pledge support for the Republican caucus choice for House Speaker." Beebe added that he finds "voters increasingly realizing Steve Allison is out of touch with their values."<ref>Jasper Scherer, "Straus endorses Allison for District 121", ''The San Antonio Express-News'', April 20, 2018, p. A4.</ref>