Joe Straus

In May 2017, Woodfill and Dr. Steven F. Hotze, president of Conservative Republicans of Texas, placed a statewide call for conservative Christian candidates to step forward to run for state representative in the primary elections scheduled for March 6, 2018, against intra-party opponents of the Kolkhorst bill, on which the House Speaker refused to permit a roll call. The legislation would require persons in public places to use the rest room corresponding with their genitalia at birth; it is opposed by liberals, transgender persons, and many businesses and sports teams. Hotze called Republican opponents of the bill "spineless, yellow-belly Texas Republican state representatives who have not had the courage to ... protect the privacy and safety of their mothers, wives, daughters and granddaughters. ... If a man does not have the courage to protect women and girls and keep them from harm's way, then he is as worthless as chaff that the wind drives away ..." Hotze questioned the extent of Republican opposition to the bill, which he claims has the support of 84 percent of Texas Republicans in a recent survey.

In October 2017, Straus announced that he would not run for re-election. The New York Times described Straus as a pragmatist. He "delivered a plea that Republicans 'appeal to our diverse population with an optimistic vision'" when he announced he would not be running again. Shortly after the 2018 midterm elections, Straus criticized Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick and other Republicans for adopting positions too far to the right, though Patrick responded by questioning Straus's status as a conservative and a Republican.

Straus has declined to support the bathroom bill, SB 6, introduced by state Senator Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham and strongly endorsed by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. Straus said the measure is not a priority for him. Jared Woodfill, the former Harris County Republican chairman and editor-in-chief of the newsletter of the group Conservative Republicans of Texas, has challenged the Speaker on the issue. On March 9, 2017, Woodfill wrote:

Governor Abbott therefore called a special legislative session to begin on July 18, 2017, in which lawmakers will consider once again nineteen conservative measures, including the bathroom bill and property tax relief, left languishing from the regular session that ended in May. Dr. Steven Hotze urged voters to contact their Republican legislators to urge that Straus be removed as Speaker during the special session. Hotze also singled out Representative Cook as instrumental in the regular session in defeating some of the bills still pending.

On July 10, 2017, the Bexar County Republican Executive Committee cast a vote of "No Confidence" by passing a resolution calling for "a change in leadership in the Texas House speakership," in Speaker Straus for blocking the consideration of conservative bills pending in the upcoming special session, including the lingering bathroom bill. Chairman Robert Stovall, who is elected by primary voters, opposed the resolution. It is unclear what impact if any the anti-Straus resolution will have on statewide political matters. Meanwhile, three days before the beginning of the special legislative session, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said that he fears Straus' pending school finance bill because the costs could lead to a state income tax to meet the extra obligations. Patrick's plan calls for pay hikes for educators and retirees and relief to the more prosperous school districts which must send some local funds to Austin to help pay for the overall public education system.

San Antonio Express-News supports Straus, which is his hometown newspaper. Columnist Josh Brodesky in 2017 suggested that Straus should seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2020. A dozen or so San Antonio businesspeople, in a letter, urged Straus to continue to block passage of the bathroom bill. They claim that the bill "diverts much needed attention from what really matters."

On August 15, 2017, Straus adjourned a special session of the Texas House early, without permitting a vote on the bill restricting transgender bathroom access.

In October 2017, Strauss announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018.

Two Tea Party movement candidates, Shelia Vernette Bean (born 1968), a former teacher who operates an aviation business, and Jeff M. Judson (born 1962), a business consultant, Tea Party movement figure, and a former member of the Olmos Park City Council, challenged Straus in the primary election on March 1, 2016. A Straus ally, Representative Jason Villalba of Dallas County, predicted in 2014 that the 2015 Texas Senate would be "the most conservative in state history" but that the Straus-led House would kill much of the legislation through the House Calendars Committee. There, he said, "conservative bills will be strangled in the cradle."

Straus raised $8 million for his 2016 primary contest with Bean and Judson and as of mid-January had spent nearly $500,000 on television advertising. No other state officials seem likely to spend at that level in the primary campaign. Judson, meanwhile, received a $50,000 contribution from a pastor and fracking entrepreneur, Farris Wilks of Cisco in Eastland County. Earlier, Wilks and his younger brother, Dan Wilks, contributed $15 million to a super political action committee supporting Ted Cruz for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

In January 2015, Straus was challenged again as Speaker by Representative Scott Turner, an African American from Frisco. It was the first recorded Texas Speaker vote since 1976. Groups outside of Texas engaged heavily on Turner's behalf, but he was not able to break Straus' bipartisan backing. Late in the campaign, the Houston Chronicle reported that Turner tried to attract the support of Democrats in order to save his campaign, but the Democrats and the overwhelming majority of Republicans stuck with Straus. Despite considerable attention from Tea Party movement groups and the media, Turner received only 19 votes to Straus' 128.

Bean and Judson claimed that Straus failed in 2015 to push through legislation against sanctuary cities and did not adequately support further abortion restrictions and school vouchers. Straus said that his record includes improvements in the water infrastructure, transportation, and public and higher education. Straus said his position as Speaker "made me a very appealing target" by opponents who "don't have this district's interests at heart."

Judson criticized Straus for having blocked proposed state legislation to ban sanctuary cities, in which police do not ask the immigration status of persons whom they stop for questioning. In a campaign email, Judson cites the murder in 2015 of 25-year-old Spencer Golvach of Houston, killed by Victor Reyes, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who had been deported four times. Dan Golvach, in an advertisement sponsored by the Young Conservatives of Texas, which supports Judson, said that Straus opposition to the ban on sanctuary cities, "put the life of an illegal alien ahead of my murdered son and many other Texans just like him." Susan Pamerleau, the Republican sheriff of Bexar County and a candidate for a second term in the November 8 general election, defended Straus. Judson's "use of a grieving father to accuse Joe Straus of a horrific murder committed by a career criminal is deplorable and irresponsible. No one has done more to secure the border than Joe Straus," Pamerleau said."

Straus was again renominated to the Texas House in the Republican primary held on March 4, 2014. He received 9,224 votes (61.2 percent) to 5,842 (38.8 percent) for Matt Beebe, who again challenged the Speaker.

In January 2013, Straus faced intraparty conservative opposition for a third term as Speaker from Representative David Simpson of Longview. Simpson entered the race for Speaker in December 2012, after Straus' previous opponent, conservative Bryan Hughes of Mineola, withdrew from the contest after nearly six months of seeking commitments from colleagues. However, Simpson withdrew before the balloting for Speaker began, and Straus was reelected without opposition on January 8, 2013. Rep. Todd Ames Hunter, a Republican from Corpus Christi, pointed to Straus' even-handed approach to leadership as the reason for his success in keeping the gavel. "The Speaker is exceptional in working with members, said Hunter, an ally of the speaker. "What you've seen within the last week is he has a strong, diverse support base."

Perhaps Straus' greatest accomplishment was leading the House, along with Chairman Allan Ritter, to make a historic investment in the state's water needs in 2013. The legislature approved, and then-Governor Rick Perry signed, legislation that created a revolving loan fund to pay for water supply and conservation projects around the state. The plan aimed to provide start-up money to communities that often struggled to get it for needed water projects. Straus led the public campaign to approve funding for the water plan, which 73 percent of Texas voters supported in November 2013.

Straus has received numerous awards and accolades. In 2013, Texas Monthly named him one of the "Ten Best Legislators". And in endorsing him for re-election in 2014, the San Antonio Express-News wrote, "Under Straus' leadership, the House has produced conservative budgets and a broad conservative agenda. Straus has done an admirable job managing the House since 2009, and he provides crucial leadership on important San Antonio issues. His constituents benefit significantly by having the speaker represent their district." Forbes magazine in 2014 called Straus "the Harry Reid of the Texas House", a reference to Democratic U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the former Senate Majority Leader known for his constant defeating of Republican initiatives. Forbes noted that the Texas House has been "controlled by a left-of-center speaker ... who came into power in 2009 by ousting his conservative predecessor with a coalition of Democrats and a handful of moderate and left-of-center Republicans."

Straus has led the effort to make the state budget more transparent. In July 2012, he called on the House Appropriations Committee to begin reducing the amount of money that had collected in General Revenue-Dedicated balances – an accounting technique that legislators and governors increasingly used over 20 years to get the budget certified. In the 2013 legislative session, the Legislature reduced the amount of money sitting in those accounts by $1 billion. Early in the 2015 session, House leaders pledged to reduce those amounts even further.

Straus was renominated to the Texas House in the Republican primary held on May 29, 2012. With 10,362 votes (62.9 percent), he defeated opponent Matt Stewart Beebe (born 1973), who polled 6,108 ballots (37.1 percent). In the November 6 general election, Straus faced no Democratic opponent and defeated the Libertarian nominee, Arthur M. Thomas, IV, 50,530 (80.2 percent) to 12,444 (19.8 percent).

In 2011, Frank Phillips College in Borger, along with Ranger College in Ranger, Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, and Odessa College in Odessa, were proposed for closure by the State of Texas. The Texas Association of Community Colleges rallied successfully to keep the four institutions open. In a letter to Speaker Straus and Representative Jim Pitts of Waxahachie, then the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, TAAC leaders referred to state budget restrictions at the time:

As Speaker, Straus has put an emphasis on bipartisan cooperation and on issues such as budget transparency, education, higher education, water and transportation. The state has invested more money in building up emerging universities, such as the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Houston. With a state budget shortfall looming in 2010 and many beginning to call for higher taxes, Straus publicly called on the House to balance its budget without a tax increase, and the House followed his lead.

Straus is Texas' first Jewish Speaker. In 2010, e-mails circulated among members of the Texas State Republican Executive Committee calling for Straus to be replaced by a "Christian conservative" as Speaker, on the grounds that "we elected a house with Christian, conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it." Straus's opponents for the Speakership, Ken Paxton (later the Attorney General of Texas) and Warren Chisum, are Christians; both condemned the comments.

After watching the Republican ranks in the Texas House decrease from 88 to 76 over three elections, Straus decided to run against then Speaker Tom Craddick of Midland, the senior Republican in the Texas House. Shortly after New Year's Day, eleven House Republican members, including the late Edmund Kuempel of Seguin, Burt Solomons of North Carrollton, Jim Keffer of Eastland, and Jim Pitts of Waxahachie met in the Austin home of Representative Byron Cook of Corsicana (ten in person and one via webcam). Each wanted an alternative to Craddick. After four rounds of secret balloting, with state and local media hanging around outside in the neighbors' lawns, Straus emerged as their challenger to unseat the Speaker. Over the next several days, the group, dubbed by the media as the "Gang of 11", set out to garner the required minimum of 76 votes (of the 150 total members) to achieve their mission. After several days of phone calls, e-mails, pledge cards and signature gathering, Joe Straus announced on Sunday, January 4, 2009, that he had enough votes to win the job. The votes came from the entire Democratic caucus, voting along with the 11 Straus Republicans, to support the new Speaker. By the following evening remaining opposition to Straus conceded. After securing his position as House Speaker, Straus appointed 18 Republicans and 16 Democrats to committee chairmanships, which reflected the 76-74 makeup of the House. Republicans continued to chair major committees including Appropriations, Calendars, Public Education and State Affairs.

Straus ran without opposition as Speaker on January 13, 2009. He was reelected to a fourth two-year term as Speaker six years later on January 13, 2015 in the first recorded vote for Speaker in forty years.

Straus joined the House after winning an open special election to replace District 121 state Representative Elizabeth Ames Jones in 2005. He has been easily re-elected ever since.

Straus has previously served on the Management Committee of the Bexar County Republican Party, as a precinct chairman, and on numerous campaign committees for federal, state, and local candidates. From 1989 through 1991, he served in the administration of President George H. W. Bush as Deputy Director of Business Liaison at the U.S. Department of Commerce and, earlier under President Ronald Reagan, as Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of Customs. In 1986, he was Campaign Manager in U.S. Representative Lamar S. Smith's first race for Congress.

Straus claims that his inclination on the still disputed legislative matters is to make certain that the people are empowered at the local level, rather than the imposition of top-down guidelines from the state. He attributes this point of view from the late Senator Tower, who began his career as a staunch conservative but began drifting to the moderate position by the early 1970s. Tower often said that "the best government is that which is closest to the people." Straus could halt the special session by using his power to adjourn the House and leave Abbott and Patrick politically isolated.

Joseph Richard Straus III (born September 1, 1959) is an American politician who served as the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 2009 to 2019. He is a Republican and represented District 121, which comprises northeastern Bexar County, including part of San Antonio, Texas, and several surrounding communities from his first election to the House in 2005 until his retirement in 2019. Straus was first elected Speaker on January 13, 2009. In October 2017, Straus announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018.

Straus announced his opposition to President Donald Trump's pending travel ban against seven predominantly Muslim nations, including Somalia: "I am concerned about sending the incorrect message that we are at war with any religion." Joining Straus in this position was another Texas Republican, U.S. Representative Will Hurd of Texas' 23rd congressional district.