Texas House Speaker Race Emerges as New Flashpoint for Gun Rights

Texas Democrats flipped the state House this midterm, and a gun-rights group says the race for Speaker could decide how far anti-gun legislation goes next session.

Snapshot

Texas Gun Rights is raising alarms over Rep. Senfronia Thompson's bid for House Speaker, citing her record on gun legislation as a warning sign for gun owners. The group argues that whoever holds the gavel will control committee assignments and which bills get hearings, making the Speaker race far more consequential than usual.

Key points

• The record: TGR says Thompson signed a 2019 letter urging Gov. Abbott to call a special session on gun control, including red-flag confiscation, universal registration, a magazine ban and open-carry restrictions.
• The votes: According to TGR, Thompson voted against HB 1927 (Constitutional Carry), SB 20 (hotel carry protections) and SB 535 (ending the carry ban in places of worship).
• The warning: TGR president Chris McNutt said Thompson's record speaks louder than any friendly Capitol small talk, stating the group will judge leadership by actions, not hallway pleasantries.
• The stakes: TGR notes the Speaker shapes House rules, committee makeup and which gun bills advance, urging owners not to assume bipartisan optics guarantee protection.

Quick take

Speaker races rarely grab headlines outside the Capitol, but TGR's point is straightforward: procedural power decides which bills live or die long before a floor vote happens. With Democrats now holding the majority, who runs the chamber matters as much as who's in it. Worth watching how this shakes out before assuming anything about this session's agenda.

Read the full story: Mark Chesnut