To win the Speaker's office, Schexnayder won the support of thirty-seven Democrats and [[Independent]]s and twenty-three Moderate Republicans. His more conservative opponent, [[Sherman Mack]], backed by conservatives, polled 45 votes. Mack was the choice of the Republican caucus and had been expected to win the race for Speaker. Though he is a Moderate Republican, Schexnayder said that he will support tort reform, which was blocked in the previous legislative sessions, to the consternation to conservative lawmakers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_c49bd7fc-361c-11ea-bfcb-e37c0c069e39.html|title=Clay Schexnayder wins Louisiana House Speaker after push from Democrats|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Sam Karlin|accessdate=January 13, 2020}}</ref> | To win the Speaker's office, Schexnayder won the support of thirty-seven Democrats and [[Independent]]s and twenty-three Moderate Republicans. His more conservative opponent, [[Sherman Mack]], backed by conservatives, polled 45 votes. Mack was the choice of the Republican caucus and had been expected to win the race for Speaker. Though he is a Moderate Republican, Schexnayder said that he will support tort reform, which was blocked in the previous legislative sessions, to the consternation to conservative lawmakers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_c49bd7fc-361c-11ea-bfcb-e37c0c069e39.html|title=Clay Schexnayder wins Louisiana House Speaker after push from Democrats|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Sam Karlin|accessdate=January 13, 2020}}</ref> |