Having achieved victory in his Republican Primary runoff against challenger David Covey, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has found himself in the crosshairs of left-wing activists who are critical of his leadership in helping pass monumental conservative legislation.
Rebecca Marques, who serves as the Vice President of National Organizing for the pro-abortion advocacy group Reproductive Freedom for All and as Chair of the liberal website The Texas Signal, described Phelan as “the worst speaker for Democrats in well over a decade” in a post on Twitter. In another tweet, Marques took aim at Phelan’s pro-life record, describing him as a “disaster for the women of Texas.”
Marques has long been a critic of Phelan. In a tweet last year, Marques criticized Phelan for what she described as “extreme and impulsive decision making” and helping pass a variety of bills that Democrats vilified. “He banned abortion, passed permitless carry, and more anti LGBTQ bills this session alone than my previous decade of sessions,” said Marques.
After his victory last night, Phelan released a statement promising to deliver “another landmark conservative session” for Texas.
“Tonight, I am immensely grateful to the voters of Southeast Texas, who have spoken loud and clear: in Southeast Texas, we set our own course—our community is not for sale, and our values are not up for auction. I owe a profound debt of gratitude to every voter and volunteer whose relentless dedication turned that vision into tonight’s resounding victory.
This outcome would also not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, whose strength and encouragement have been a daily source of inspiration, and the robust coalition of our local leaders, whose endorsements reiterate that the strength of local politics still prevails, and no amount of external pressure can erode a foundation built on community trust and proven results.
With the conclusion of the runoff, my sights are now set firmly on the November election. I look forward to hitting the ground running to ensure the Texas House is best positioned for what promises to be another landmark conservative session, bolstered by as strong a Republican majority as possible.
Thank you, House District 21, for your confidence in me—I am honored to be your advocate and look forward to earning your vote once again in November. Together, we move forward, focused, determined and stronger than ever,” remarked Phelan.
Phelan’s leadership in delivering conservative policy victories was highlighted by Republican members of the Texas House last night.
State Representative Matt Shaheen tweeted, “Congratulations Speaker @DadePhelan & all GOP Primary winners! It’s time to end the absurd infighting that profits a few & recognize the historic conservative victories of the last 2 sessions!! #onward #txlege #VoteGOP.”
State Representative Jeff Leach released a statement praising Phelan and his work to pass conservative legislation.
“Under [Phelan’s] leadership, and working with all of our Republican colleagues, we have ended abortion in Texas, passed the nation’s largest property tax cut, dedicated over $6 billion to secure the border, protected children from harmful gender modification procedures, worked to secure our elections, supported our law-enforcement, cracked down on drug and human trafficking, saved women’s sports, protected our fundamental rights and freedoms, including our First and Second Amendment rights, and made Texas as strong, safe and prosperous as it’s ever been. Speaker Phelan’s steadfast and steady leadership of the House has resulted in resounding, remarkable and historic conservative victories that have strengthened the Texas of today and paved a pathway to an even stronger Texas of tomorrow.
That said, while we celebrate those victories, we must not rest. The time for looking back has passed – and it’s now time to look forward to the work ahead,” said Leach.
In a fundraising letter for the Republican Party of Texas last year, the Party’s then-State Chairman Matt Rinaldi described the most recent legislative session as having delivered “probably the most sweeping conservative change ever passed in our Texas State Legislature.” Rinaldi cited work done by Republican lawmakers to pass legislation addressing a ban on child gender modification, election integrity, a prohibition on men participating in women’s sports, and other conservative issues.
“These are just a handful of the changes that will protect and enshrine the concepts of freedom, liberty, and personal responsibility in our Lone Star State,” noted Rinaldi in his letter.
