At a news conference in Houston, State Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D‑Houston) presented what she called a “growing bipartisan coalition of 90 Members” to back her bid for Texas House speaker on November 6. The list features eight Republican lawmakers who voted for Governor Greg Abbott’s 2025 school‑choice legislation, a cornerstone of the administration’s effort to give families greater control over their children’s education.

Eight Republicans Back School‑Choice and Parental‑Rights Bills

All eight Republicans on Thompson’s roster supported the 2025 school‑choice bill, which expands Texas Education Freedom Accounts and allows parents to direct public‑education dollars to private‑school tuition, tutoring, or other approved services. They also voted for legislation requiring certain sheriffs to enter into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and for Senate Bill 13, which lets parents block specific library materials from their children.

Thompson herself opposed each of those measures, positioning her as a vocal critic of the school‑choice program and the sheriff‑ICE requirement. Two Democrats on her list have already filed bills to repeal the school‑choice accounts and to end the sheriff‑ICE mandate.

Speaker Election Timeline and Potential Power Shift

The Texas House will convene on Jan. 12, 2027 to elect a speaker. With 150 seats, a candidate needs 76 votes for a majority. If the Democratic members of Thompson’s coalition honor their pledges, they could secure the necessary votes, potentially reshaping committee leadership and the legislative agenda.

Current House leadership includes Speaker Dustin Burrows (R‑Lubbock), who was nominated by Rep. John Geren in 2025. Thompson’s supporters, including Geren, Darby, Dean, and King, previously voted to strip school‑choice provisions from the 2023 education bill, underscoring the fluid nature of partisan alliances in the chamber.

Key Policy Battles Highlighted

The 2025 law Thompson opposed also mandates that sheriffs who operate a jail—or contract with a private company to do so—must request and maintain an ICE agreement, authorizing local officers to enforce federal immigration law. The agreement must be renewed annually until secured.

In 2023, Texas created a state crime for illegal entry and re‑entry, making a direct crossing outside a lawful port of entry a Class B misdemeanor and a repeat offense a state‑jail felony. Thompson voted against that measure.

Senate Bill 13, the 2025 school‑library bill, empowers parents to identify materials their child cannot check out and requires school boards to hold public votes on new library acquisitions, while also prohibiting indecent or profane content. Senate Bill 12, a separate parental‑rights package, demands written parental consent before students join school‑approved clubs and bars districts from sponsoring clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Broader Legislative Context

Thompson also opposed the 2021 Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, except for medical emergencies. In 2025 she voted against House Bill 7, which would have allowed private lawsuits over the supply of abortion drugs, while supporting the Life of the Mother Act, clarifying emergency‑abortion provisions.

On criminal‑justice issues, Thompson voted against tighter bond limits that all eight Republicans supported, but she backed a constitutional amendment requiring judges to deny bail in certain violent felony cases when prosecutors meet evidentiary standards. All eight Republicans and Thompson voted to raise the school‑district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000.

Local Legislative Initiatives

Democratic Rep. John Bucy III (D‑District 136) introduced House Bill 164 to repeal Texas Education Freedom Accounts. Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D‑San Antonio) filed House Bill 123 to end the sheriff‑ICE requirement and halt new grants for those agreements. State Sen. José Menéndez (D‑San Antonio) filed Senate Bill 106 on school‑choice and Senate Bill 99 targeting sheriff agreements.

Governor‑elect Gina Hinojosa (D‑Texas) has pledged to end school‑choice accounts, a stance that would require both chambers to pass repeal legislation. Republicans are projected to retain their Senate majority, suggesting continued support for school‑choice policies.

Campaign Finance Snapshot

Thompson’s campaign reported $690,192 cash on hand as of Oct. 24. Her disclosures show contributions from the Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC ($20,000), the Texas Association of Realtors PAC ($7,500), and Texas Sands PAC ($4,500).

The upcoming speaker election will test whether a bipartisan coalition can overcome entrenched partisan divides and shape the next legislative session’s priorities for Texas families.

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.