Senfronia Thompson says she has votes to become Texas House speaker

Who's involved

• Senfronia Thompson · State Rep. (Houston); candidate for Texas House speaker^[1]
• Eddie Morales Jr. · State Rep. (Eagle Pass); dropped bid for speaker, endorsed Thompson^[1]
• Gina Hinojosa · Gov.-elect of Texas^[1]
• Vikki Goodwin · Lt. Gov.-elect of Texas^[1]
• Dustin Burrows · Current Republican Speaker of Texas House^[1]

The facts

1. Thompson announced her bid for speaker on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, stating she has enough votes to secure the 76 votes needed to control the 150-member House.^[1]
2. Thompson is 87 years old, the longest-serving woman and longest-serving Black legislator in any state, and was first elected to the Texas House in 1972.^[1]
3. If elected, Thompson would become the first woman and the first Black lawmaker to serve as Texas House speaker.^[1]
4. Morales, a centrist Democrat from Eagle Pass and Thompson's only other competitor for speaker, dropped his bid and endorsed Thompson hours before her announcement on Nov. 6, 2026.^[1]
5. At least three Republican lawmakers attended Thompson's news conference on Nov. 6, 2026: State Reps. Drew Darby of San Angelo, Charlie Geren of Fort Worth and Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi.^[1]
6. If Thompson becomes speaker, the Texas 'Big Three' of top state-level officials would be all women for the first time: Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa, Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin and Thompson as speaker.^[1]
7. Thompson said she would appoint members of both parties to chair committees, resuming a tradition of bipartisan panel leadership that was scrapped by the Burrows-led House.^[1]

Who said what

• Senfronia Thompson The majority of the House has pledged to her, and she has enough votes to win the speaker's gavel.^[1]
• Senfronia Thompson The House would not be a 'dictatorship' under her watch, and she would not be there to punish anybody, but she has her own ideas and expects members to represent their districts and deliver on promises.^[1]
• Senfronia Thompson The House would no longer engage in 'bickering and fighting about little wee wee things that have no place within our legislative process' and would require all members working together, using the expertise of Republicans and Democrats as a unit.^[1]