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

AUSTIN — The 89th legislative session began Tuesday with members of the Texas House electing Rep. Dustin Burrows as their new speaker after a month-long divisive battle among Republicans. Burrows won the speaker's race by a vote of 85-55.

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

As the new House Speaker Rep. Burrows (R-Lubbock) will have a critical role in deciding the legislative priorities during the new session.

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.

The political donations came in the two weeks before the fundraising blackout period tied to the legislative session.

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.

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

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

The Texas House of Representatives elected Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) as its next speaker of the house. The House voted 85-55 in favor of Burrows over Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield). Nine members did not vote. Burrows' votes came from 46 Democrats and 39 Republicans.

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.