Texas Speaker Politics - Craddick Out - UPDATED

The Austin American-Statesman's Garner Selby is twittering the Straus news conference.

One thing is certain, Tom Craddick will not return as Speaker of the House of Representatives when the Texas Legislature convenes next week.

Today's Austin American-Statesman reports, "Craddick out of speaker race; 2 in GOP ready to do battle."  It's written by Laylan Copeland and Jason Embry.

Embattled Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick gave up his speaker re-election bid Sunday night as San Antonio Republican Rep. Joe Straus released the names of his 88 supporters, mostly Democrats. He scheduled a Capitol news conference to claim victory this morning.

Many of Craddick's allies, however, vowed to fight on behind the candidacy of Amarillo Republican John Smithee after emerging from a meeting at Sullivan's Steakhouse in downtown Austin on Sunday night. They argued that the dynamic of the race is different now that Craddick and his political baggage are out and Smithee is in. And presumably Smithee starts with almost four times as many Republicans as Straus has on his list.

Paul Burka has, "Will Craddick Stay?"

When Tom Craddick became speaker, Pete Laney remained in the Legislature for two sessions. Craddick believed, rightly or wrongly, that Laney orchestrated the Democratic resistance to his leadership, and he deeply resented it.

Is history going to repeat itself? Is Craddick going to take his seat on the floor and lead the new insurgency? I hope not–not so much for Straus’s sake as for Craddick’s.  How much better it would have been for everyone if he had called it quits after his third term, taken his victory lap as the person who had carried the Republican party to its first majority since Reconstruction, and secured his niche in Texas political history. Now he’s just another guy who got beat.

"Craddick concedes bid for Speaker," is the San Antonio Express-News report by Gary Sharrer and Lisa Sandberg.

Rep. Joe Straus, promising Texans that he would end partisanship and special interest favors, announced a list of 88 supporters Sunday night that would give him ample votes to oust fellow Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick.

Craddick quickly conceded. He and 54 of his backers then threw their support behind Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, a longtime Craddick ally who will challenge Straus.

Straus is holding a news conference right now, stating that he has 92 votes pledged.  Texas Weekly and Quorum Report are two sources for the most up to date news on the Speaker race.