AUSTIN — Texas House lawmakers elected Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows as speaker Tuesday, shortly after the Legislature’s 89th regular session began.

AUSTIN — Newly elected Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, struck a conciliatory tone in his victory speech after defeating David Cook, R-Mansfield in what split the GOP.

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

Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, was elected speaker of the Texas House on Tuesday, concluding a bitter and intense power struggle within the Republican Party that came down to an extraordinary floor vote to decide who would fill one of the most powerful positions in state government.

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

There is a new speaker of the Texas House. That was the top issue as the 89th session of the Texas Legislature began.

Speaker Vote Fallout -  A contentious vote ends a months-long battle that divided Texas lawmakers.  In the end, Lubbock Republican Dustin Burrows won the vote for House Speaker.  But some of his opponents believe the fight is not over.

Dustin Burrows is elected Speaker of the Texas House, signaling potential bipartisanship in addressing state issues.

Burrow’s win was an assertion of the chamber’s longstanding independence, and it set up another session of likely clashes with the more partisan Texas Senate.

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.

Lubbock Republican state Rep. Dustin Burrows clenched the speakership of the Texas House on Tuesday in the culmination of an unusually long and unusually public mudfight for the role.