Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) is dropping out of the race for a third term, he told members on Thursday morning and afternoon.
Speculation whizzed around yesterday that Phelan would step aside ahead of Saturday’s Texas House Republican Caucus vote, and Phelan himself shrugged off those assertions to reporters on Thursday evening.
It particularly revved up when state Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) announced his support for the House Republican reform group’s endorsed candidate Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield) on Thursday morning — though sources told The Texan the timing was merely coincidental and Phelan’s decision to drop out had already been made by Wednesday evening.
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