State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, said Friday that she has enough votes to win the Texas House speaker's gavel when the Legislature convenes in January. Her announcement came hours after state Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., D-Eagle Pass, dropped his bid for the post and endorsed her. Morales had been her only other competitor.
Thompson did not release a list of supporters or say how many members back her. State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, said her majority is "overwhelming" and growing, and that every Democratic member and a growing number of Republicans support her. "The bottom line is, the majority of the House has pledged to me," Thompson said at a news conference at the Capitol.
If elected, Thompson, 87, would be the first woman and the first Black lawmaker to serve as Texas House speaker. Her bid follows Democrats' wins in Tuesday's midterm elections, in which Democrats won every statewide seat on the ballot and their first House majority since 2003. Democrats were positioned to hold more than 80 of the chamber's 150 seats, with some races not yet officially called because of very close margins.