The unusually public battle to helm the Texas House divided both Democratic and Republican lawmakers between Rep. Dustin Burrows and Rep. David Cook.

Rep. Dustin Burrows is elected Texas House Speaker, winning with support from Democrats, amid GOP internal tensions.

In a dramatic two-ballot vote Tuesday, Republican state Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock clinched the title of speaker of the Texas House.

Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock, left, joined by his wife, Elizabeth, and their children is sworn in by Secretary of State Jane Nelson after being voted in the the House speaker position on the opening day of the legislative session. Michael Minasi / KUT News

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, was elected speaker of the Texas House on Tuesday,

A contentious vote Tuesday ended a months-long battle that divided Texas lawmakers. Lubbock Republican State Rep. Dustin Burrows won the vote for House Speaker. But some of his opponents believe the fight is not over.

Since then, the vast majority of House speakers have been elected by acclamation or with more than 140 votes. Even Rep. Dade Phelan, whom hard-right Republicans forced from seeking a third term, received 143 votes in 2021 and 145 in 2023.

The trial lawyer from Lubbock has served in the House since 2015, slowly building his stature and overcoming a scandal in 2019.

Burrows bested challenger David Cook (R-Mansfield) in a runoff vote on the first day of the Texas Legislature in Austin.

Will Texas House Republicans pay for supporting Dustin Burrows for speaker? Passage of conservative priorities could remove the sting for primary voters

The grassroots had dubbed Burrows and his supporters “Republicans in Name Only,” or RINOs, a term that became popular during the Trump era to attack GOP members for supposedly not being conservative enough. Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, listens ...

Dustin Burrows won the Texas House Speaker election with 51 Democratic votes and 34 Republicans, causing a rift within the GOP. Smith County Republican Party Chairman David Stein predicts this division could affect the legislative session and lead to challenges in the upcoming 2026 primaries for the 34 Republicans who supported Burrows.