State Rep. Four Price files to run for Texas House speaker

<p dir="ltr">State Rep. <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/walter-t-four-price/" target="_self">Four Price</a>, R-Amarillo, filed Thursday for speaker of the Texas House, making him the sixth Republican to enter an already crowded race to replace the retiring House Speaker <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/joe-straus/" target="_self">Joe Straus</a>, R-San Antonio.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Having successfully worked for the last four sessions with my colleagues from across our state to pass major legislation and focus on issues of importance to all Texans, I am eager to seek this leadership position in the Texas House of Representatives," he said in a statement. "Looking towards the future, I truly believe the Texas House will play a leading role in making the decisions that keep Texas on the path to prosperity."</p> <p dir="ltr">Price enters a speaker’s race that already includes Republicans <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/tan-parker/" target="_self">Tan Parker</a> of Flower Mound, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/phil-king/" target="_self">Phil King</a> of Weatherford, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/john-zerwas/" target="_self">John Zerwas</a> of Richmond, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/travis-clardy/" target="_self">Travis Clardy</a> of Nacogdoches and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/drew-darby/" target="_self">Drew Darby</a> of San Angelo, as well as Democrat <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/eric-johnson/" target="_self">Eric Johnson</a> of Dallas.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ahead of the next regular session, House Republicans agreed to select a speaker in their caucus and then vote as a bloc on the floor. Prior to the March 6 primaries, House Republicans pushed incumbents and candidates to sign a form promising to ultimately support the caucus pick. While Parker, Price and King <a href="https://www.texasgop.org/speaker-candidate-forms/" target="_self">have signed the form</a>, Zerwas and Clardy and Darby have not.</p> <p dir="ltr">Straus announced in October that he did not plan to run for re-election in 2018. Texas House members traditionally select a speaker on the first day of a legislative session. The next regular session will begin in January 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr">Price, an attorney, is serving his fourth term in the House. He’s the chairman of the House Public Health, Health & Human Services Transition Oversight and Opioids and Substance Abuse Select Committees. He’s also a member of the Natural Resources and General Investigating and Ethics Committees.</p>

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