Speaker Race Update

Reps. Cook (l) and Solomons: The newest challenger to Craddick and the potential pack leader

According to the Texas Ethics Commission, Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, has become the 11th legislator to declare that they want to be speaker. Seriously, 11th. Can that number reach a dozen by Christmas?

The total stands at six Republicans (including current house head honcho Speaker Tom Craddick, who no one is prepared to wager the farm against quite yet) and five Democrats. As the handicapping currently stands, the Dems don't really stand much of a chance since they failed to take House District 105 in a recount and force the House to a tie. Even if they had, the strong Republican showing in state-wide races chips away at any bargaining tool the Dems may have held.

So if any state rep is going to replace Craddick, it looks like it comes down to either Cook, Delwin Jones, Jim Keffer, Tommy Merritt, or Burt Solomons. Scarcely a cadre of screaming liberals (much as Craddick-boosters will try to portray them that way), but any succesful challenger will need to get Rep. Jim Dunnam's "Anybody But Craddick" Dems on board. They're still the biggest single voting block in the House.

That said, Solomons seems to be the closest thing to a favorite. He's putting a lot of stock in his in-session room mate Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, adding some bipartisan appeal. Plus, beating up on former state rep turned parliamentarian Terry Keel rarely seems to damage anyone's chances.