By Rita Cook
Correspondent
Texas Metro News
AUSTIN – The midterm election has definitely changed the dynamics in Texas.
It flipped seats in the Texas House too.
Democrats secured an 83–67 majority, which effectively unseated Republican Speaker Dustin Burrows.
With the Democrat’s majority that means a new Speaker of the House will be leading the Texas House of Representatives and it looks like it will be State Representative Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston).
This will be the first time since 2003 that the Texas House will have a Democratic majority.
To that end, Thompson formally launched her campaign and on November 6 she announced that she had officially secured the necessary majority backing to claim the gavel.
At a press conference at the Capitol last week, she said “The bottom line is, the majority of the House has pledged to me. I’m not here to punish anybody. I did that when I was a parent. But I have my own ideas, and I expect members to represent their districts, to work hard and to deliver to the people things that we promised we were going to do.”
Her only major competitor for the Speaker of the House was State Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., who eventually dropped his bid and formally endorsed her.
Morales Jr. is from Eagle Pass, the largest and most sprawling legislative district in the state covering 11 counties and stretching across more than 770 miles of the U.S.–Mexico border.
When he dropped his speaker bid to support Thompson, he said he felt confident she “understands the pivotal and significant role the border and rural communities played in turning Texas blue.”
Thompson said she had a list of 90 House members who pledged their support, well above the 76 votes required in the 150-member chamber. That number included every Democratic member and several Republicans.
Rep. Thompson was born in Booth, Texas and raised in Houston. Her district includes Northeast Houston and Humble.
She is also the longest-serving woman and Black legislator in Texas history and, according to the Texas Tribune the longest serving in any state.
She is the Dean of the Texas House of Representatives and is often referred to as the conscience of the Texas House currently serving her 52nd year in the Texas Legislature.
She was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in May 2014 and is also affectionately known by her colleagues as “Ms. T.”
If officially elected by the chamber when the legislative session convenes on January 12, 2027, Thompson will also make history by becoming the first woman and the first Black lawmaker to serve as Texas House Speaker.
Known for her sharp negotiating skills, Thompson’s massive coalition proves she can unite a heavily divided chamber. As she prepares to lead, fellow lawmakers are praising her unique ability to balance progressive values with the practical needs of rural Texas. Her incoming leadership marks a monumental shift in state politics.
When the gavel officially drops this January, Thompson won’t just be managing a new legislative agenda she will also be rewriting the history books for the Lone Star State.
Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/editor who specializes in writing on travel, auto, crime and politics. A correspondent for Texas Metro News, she has published 11 books and has also produced low-budget films.
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