Texas House Speaker Joe Straus has been drawing fire all year from far-right lawmakers, including members of the so-called “Texas Freedom Caucus” in the State House of Representatives, who have called for Straus’s job.
But, as The Texas Tribune reports, Straus is taking the calls for his ouster in stride. Brushing aside complaints that he’s too moderate, Straus welcomed all challengers.
“I don’t own this job,” he said.
Straus added that he believed most members of the House would support his bid for re-election as the leader of the House.
Currently, both Democrats and Republicans are allowed to vote for House leadership. This bipartisan role has led to Straus’s fifth straight election. But the more conservative forces in the House would like to change the rule so that only Republicans can vote, which would likely lead to a dramatic shift to the right leadership.