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|party=[[Republican]]

|party=[[Republican]]

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|spouse=Julie Brink Straus

|religion=[[Jewish]]

|religion=[[Jewish]]

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

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

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'''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>

'''Joseph 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, 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.

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.