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{{Infobox officeholder

{{Infobox officeholder

|name=Joseph Richard "Joe" Straus, III

|name=Joseph Richard “Joe” Straus, III

|image=Joe Straus of TX.jpg

|image=Joe Straus of TX.jpg

|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]

|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]

|succeeded2=Dennis Bonnen

|succeeded2=Dennis Bonnen

}}

}}

'''Joseph Richard Straus, III''', known as '''Joe Straus''' (born September 1, 1959), is a [[Moderate Republican]] former state representative from [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], who served as [[Speaker]] of the Texas House of Representatives from 2009 to 2018. He was initially elected to the House in a special election held in January 2005 to succeed Elizabeth Ames Jones, who resigned from the legislature to join the [[Texas Railroad Commission]], a post she since vacated in an unsuccessful bid for the Texas State Senate.  

 

'''Joseph Richard Straus, III''' (born September 1, 1959), known as '''Joe Straus''', is a [[Moderate Republican]] former state representative from [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], who served as [[Speaker]] of the Texas House of Representatives from 2009 to 2018. He was initially elected to the House in a special election held in January 2005 to succeed Elizabeth Ames Jones, who resigned from the legislature to join the [[Texas Railroad Commission]], a post she since vacated in an unsuccessful bid for the Texas State Senate.  

A youthful admirer of the late [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]], for whom he was once a part-time chauffeur.<ref>Scharrer, Gary (February 29, 2009). [https://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2009/02/speaker-meets-with-daughter-of-old-boss-sen-john-tower/ Speaker meets with daughter of old boss – Sen. John Tower]. ''chron.com''. Retrieved May 22, 2021.</ref> Straus, like Tower later in his Senate career, 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 counters with the claim that he is a champion for economic development, transportation, and public education.

A youthful admirer of the late [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]], for whom he was once a part-time chauffeur.<ref>Scharrer, Gary (February 29, 2009). [https://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2009/02/speaker-meets-with-daughter-of-old-boss-sen-john-tower/ Speaker meets with daughter of old boss – Sen. John Tower]. ''chron.com''. Retrieved May 22, 2021.</ref> Straus, like Tower later in his Senate career, 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 counters with the claim that he is a champion for economic development, transportation, and public education.