AUSTIN — Nominated by a longtime Fort Worth lawmaker, Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock was elected the 77th Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday in one of the most acrimonious speaker’s races in more than a decade.
The vote came after months of high-energy campaigning by Rep. David Cook of Mansfield.
Burrows, a top lieutenant to outgoing Republican Speaker Dade Phelan of Beaumont, secured victory on the second ballot in the 150-member House, easily surpassing the needed 76-vote margin with a tally of 85-55. Both candidates expressed hope for healing following the outcome, but ultra-conservatives aligned with Cook’s candidacy effectively vowed political warfare would continue into next year’s Republican primary season…