Senfronia Thompson Says She Has The Votes To Become Texas House Speaker
Dean Senfronia Thompson says she has secured enough support to become the next Texas House speaker, and Eagle Pass Rep. Eddie Morales Jr. is on her list of 90 backers.
AUSTIN, Texas – Dean Senfronia Thompson says she has lined up enough votes to become the next Speaker of the Texas House, and one of the names on her list of supporters is Eagle Pass native State Rep. Eddie Morales Jr.
“This is huge: Rep. Senfronia Thompson says she has secured enough support to become the next Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives!” the Texas Democratic Party posted on X late Saturday morning Nov. 7.
If she wins the gavel, Thompson would make history. “Presumptive-Speaker Thompson will be Texas’ first Black Speaker, first female Speaker, and the first Democrat to lead the House since 2003,” according to the party’s post.
Post by the Texas Democratic Party (@texasdemocrats) on X, Nov. 7, 2026.
Thompson Says 90 Members Back Her
The party’s post followed Thompson’s own announcement Friday afternoon Nov. 6. “I am honored to have secured the support of this growing bipartisan coalition of 90 Members. I look forward to leading the Texas House as Speaker,” Thompson wrote on X.
Post by State Rep. Senfronia Thompson (@Senfronia4Texas) on X, Nov. 6, 2026.
Attached to her post was a three-page list that begins, “Dean Senfronia Thompson proudly announces the following 90 supporters for her candidacy for Speaker of Texas House of Representatives for the 90th Legislative Session.” The list includes both current House members and representatives-elect who won their seats in Tuesday’s Nov. 3 election. A note at the bottom calls it the “current list as of release.”
The Texas House has 150 members, so a candidate needs a simple majority of 76 votes to win the speaker’s race. Thompson’s list of 90 would put her well past that mark if every name holds.
The Texas House Democratic Caucus shared Thompson’s post with two words, “Madam Speaker.” Earlier in the week the caucus had posted, “For the first time in 23 years, we have flipped the Texas House.”
Eagle Pass Has A Seat At The Table
Morales, who represents House District 74, appears on Thompson’s list as “HD 74 Rep. Eddie Morales.” His district stretches from his hometown of Eagle Pass in Maverick County to El Paso County and covers 11 counties along the border, according to his official Texas House biography.
His spot on the list caps a fast week for the Eagle Pass lawmaker. Morales announced his own bid for speaker on Thursday Nov. 5, then threw his support behind Thompson the next morning. The Maverick Times reported on that endorsement Saturday.
“After a meaningful and substantial conversation with Dean Thompson and her team, I have full confidence that the needs of our rural and border communities will be met under her speakership,” Morales wrote on X at the time, according to his post. On Friday night he also reposted the caucus’s “Madam Speaker” message.
For Maverick County, early support for a speaker can matter. The speaker appoints committee chairs and helps steer which bills move, and a press release attached to Morales’s Friday post lists water, infrastructure funding, health care and public schools among the border priorities he expects to get a hearing under Thompson.
Who Is Senfronia Thompson
Thompson is a Houston Democrat who represents House District 141, which includes Northeast Houston and Humble, according to her official Texas House biography. She was born in Booth, Texas, and raised in Houston.
She is the Dean of the Texas House, the title given to its longest-serving member, and her biography calls her the longest-serving woman and African American in Texas history. She is currently serving her 52nd year in the Legislature, according to the biography.
Thompson holds a biology degree from Texas Southern University and a law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She authored the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act and the Michael Morton Act and has led the fight against human trafficking in Texas, according to her biography.
What Happens Next
Thompson is not speaker yet. The full House will elect its speaker when lawmakers gather in Austin for the 90th Legislature, which begins its regular session Jan. 12, 2027, according to the Texas Legislative Reference Library. Until that vote, her count is based on the pledges she has announced.
Read our earlier coverage: Eagle Pass Rep Eddie Morales Backs Senfronia Thompson For Texas House Speaker
Also read: Talarico Wins Texas Senate Seat And Hinojosa Ousts Abbott In Historic Democratic Night
Sources: Texas Democratic Party on X (Nov. 7) | Senfronia Thompson on X (Nov. 6) with supporter list | Texas House Democrats on X (Nov. 6) | Texas House Democrats on X (Nov. 4) | Eddie Morales Jr. on X (Nov. 6) | Texas House biography of Rep. Senfronia Thompson | Texas House biography of Rep. Eddie Morales | Texas Legislative Reference Library session dates
About The Author
