Home / News /

Texas: House Speaker Craddick Gets Runoff Boosts

April 14, 2008 — Controversial, conservative Tom Craddick (R), speaker of the Texas state House of Representatives, started off the year 2008 looking like a goner to hold on to his powerful post in Lone Star government and politics. But in the April 8 runoffs, probable Craddick supporters won the Republican nomination in all five contests for state representative. Gauging whether a lawmaker is going to vote for or against Craddick for speaker is not as easy as counting pledged delegates. Nevertheless, Craddick clearly gained.  

“He’s in much better shape now than he was in February,” says Will Lutz, managing editor of the Lone Star Report. “It’s a lot easier for the math to work for him now, with the victories he won in the primaries -- Democratic and Republican -- and in the runoffs.” Says an Austin insider, “From the end of the session to the primary, I saw no path for Tom Craddick to retain the speaker’s office. Today, I see a path. It’s not going to be easy, but it is possible.”

Four of the five runoff victories represent gains for Craddick. Anti-Craddick incumbents lost, and so did anti-Craddick candidates for open seats in districts in which the retiring incumbent had been against him.

In District 81, for example, where state Rep. “Buddy” West (R) had at one point run against Craddick, former Judge Tryon Lewis, a Craddick supporter, won the runoff by 76% to 24%. The margin was due in large part to the Odessa business community going against West. Says a close observer of Texas politics, “The Odessa business community said, ‘We’re not going to risk losing a speaker from our region.’ ” Craddick is from nearby Midland. Other issues, such as West’s health, played a part. He receives regular dialysis treatments. Indeed, several days after the runoff, West was hospitalized for apparent congestive heart failure.

For another example, in District 112, in a much closer race for an open seat that had been held by a Craddick foe, Angie Button defeated a “hard-core Craddick backer” by 53% to 47%; however, Button has indicated that she will support the speaker’s re-election.

But victories in the primaries don’t guarantee re-election to the speakership for Craddick. If Democrats make gains in November in the closely divided House -- currently 79R to 71D -- then Craddick is almost sure to lose. If, however, the GOP makes gains, then Craddick’s leadership will be reinforced.

The political climate in Texas is problematic for the Republicans. Says the Austin insider, “Control of the House depends on what happens nationally. It’s beginning to look like a perfect storm, with prevailing winds against the GOP.” However, he can also picture a scenario in which Republicans make gains. “If the Democrats stay split, if the economy rebounds, if McCain gets hard-core conservatives behind him, if Obama runs poorly, the Republicans could gain seats, but that’s probably difficult.” Indeed, he adds, “There are parts of East Texas where [Obama’s] message is just going to be lethal.” Nevertheless, that’s an awful lot of ifs.

The battle over the speaker’s post is an important one in Texas politics. In many ways, the speaker of the house has more to say about what legislation will pass than the governor. The speaker not only appoints committee chairs, but he also determines the legislative agenda.

Craddick’s problems stem largely from two sources. The first are liberal and moderate lawmakers who are dissatisfied with the conservative legislation that Craddick supports and usually gets through the House. Most of these are Democrats.

The other Craddick foes are Republicans who are upset with what they regard as his strong-arm tactics. In particular, some Republicans contend Craddick’s forcing GOP representatives from moderate districts to support measures that are unpopular with their constituents has cost the party seats in the House. They note that the Republican majority has been shrinking steadily, from 88 of 150 in 2003, to 79 today.