State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a Houston Democrat, announced her candidacy for speaker of the Texas House on Tuesday night while election results were still coming in. Democrats were on track to win about 83 of the chamber's 150 seats, which would end more than two decades of Republican control.
Thompson said in a statement that voters had entrusted Democrats with a majority and that the win carries a responsibility to deliver for the people they serve. She is the first Democrat to formally enter the race to replace Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican elected in January 2025. Burrows spent roughly $11 million on a statewide bus tour and other efforts to support Republican House candidates, according to the report.
Thompson was first elected in 1972 and has served in the House for more than 54 years. The report says she is the longest-serving woman and Black legislator in Texas history. She also ran for speaker in 2020. Her announcement included endorsements from 10 Democratic lawmakers, including Democratic Caucus chair Gene Wu of Houston, who said Texans voted for change.