Texas House speaker who faced blowback over Paxton impeachment drops bid to keep post

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Republican speaker of the Texas House abandoned efforts Friday to keep his powerful post following a bruising year of criticism from the party’s hard right, driven in part by his overseeing the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Dade Phelan said he was ending his bid to serve a third term as speaker next year after months of projecting confidence that he would continue leading the state House chamber, which passed some of the nation’s toughest restrictions over abortion and immigration.

But Paxton’s impeachment in the House over corruption accusations in 2023 angered conservatives who said the chamber went too far. President-elect Donald Trump also criticized Phelan over the impeachment.

Paxton was ultimately acquitted in the Senate.

Phelan’s campaign to hang onto the job reflected a broader power struggle within the GOP, which expanded its already commanding majorities in the Texas Legislature in November’s elections.

Paxton’s allies launched an aggressive campaign to oust Phelan during Texas’ primary elections but fell short in a runoff.