Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan dropped his bid on Dec. 6 to keep his leadership post amid tensions within the GOP in the state Legislature.
“By stepping aside, I believe we create the best opportunity for our members to rally around a new candidate who will uphold the principles that make our House one of the most exceptional, deliberative legislative bodies in the country—a place where honor, integrity, and the right of every member to vote their district takes utmost precedent,” he said in a statement.