Changes

{{Officeholder

{{Officeholder

|name=Joe Straus

|name=Joseph R. "Joe" Straus, III

|image=

|image=

|party=[[Republican]]

|party=[[Republican]]

|spouse=  

|spouse=  

|religion=[[Jewish]]

|religion=[[Jewish]]

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1969|7|21}}

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1959|9|1}}

|offices=

|offices=

Texas State Representative

Texas State Representative

|district=

|district=121

|state=Texas

|state=Texas

|term_start=January 2005 -

|term_start=January 2005 -

|succeeded=}}

|succeeded=}}

'''Joe Straus''' is a [[centrist]] [[Republican]] state representative from [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], who has been Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives since January 13, 2009. He was initially elected to the House in a [[special election]] held early in 2005 to succeed [[Elizabeth Ames Jones]], who resigned to join the [[Texas Railroad Commission]]. Straus, as a youthful admirer of the late [[U.S. Senator]] [[John G. Tower]], has like Tower supported [[pro-choice]] interests. His critics claim he has also undermined [[free enterprise]] economics.<ref>http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=49917</ref>

'''Jseph R. Straus, III'', known as '''Joe Straus''' (born September 1, 1959), is a [[centrist]] [[Republican Party|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 youthful admirer of the late [[U.S. Senator]] [[John G. Tower]], Straus has like Tower supported [[pro-choice]] 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>

To win the Speakership, Straus, armed with [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] backing, defeated fellow Republican [[Tom Craddick]] of Midland, Texas, the senior member of the state House and its first ever Republican Speaker, having served 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, having served 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|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 the Speaker 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|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 the Speaker 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, Texas, are known 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, are 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>