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. A Republican, he represented District 121, which comprises northeastern Bexar County, including parts of San Antonio and several surrounding communities, from his first election to the House in 2005 until his retirement in 2019. He chose not to seek re-election to the state House in 2018.
During his career in the state House, Straus was a moderate,Paul Burka, Regular Joe, Texas Monthly (April 2009). "business-friendly, country club Republican"Christopher Hooks, Burning Down the House: Joe Straus and the End of the Moderate Texas Republican, Texas Observer (October 25, 2017). who sometimes clashed with the party's social conservative wing. Toward the end of his five terms as speaker, Straus faced opposition from more conservative factions within the Texas Republican Party, led by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who regarded Straus as insufficiently conservative,James Barragán, Former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus is back in politics. Here's what he's up to, Dallas Morning News (June 26, 2019).Matthew Watkins, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus says he will not seek re-election, Texas Tribune (October 25, 2017). and another conservative group that spent millions of dollars in attempts to defeat Straus and allied state legislators in Republican primary elections.
Early life, education, and business career Straus is a San Antonio native and a fifth-generation Texan. Straus came from a widely known Republican Party family. His mother, Jocelyn Levi Straus, was a Republican Party fundraiser and close friend of President George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, during Bush's two U.S. Senate races and his bids for the White House. Jocelyn also had a prominent role in the campaigns of John Tower in the 1970s. His father was a major player in the horseracing business in San Antonio. Straus' family founded the Straus-Frank Saddlery Co. in San Antonio, which became a wholesale distribution business for guns and tires.
A graduate of Vanderbilt University, he has an insurance, investment, and executive benefit practice. He was former spokesman for the Retama Development Corporation, a development company that built the Retama Racetrack in San Antonio, which was for betting on horse racing.
Political activity before Texas House 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.
Texas House of Representatives
Elections to the Texas House 2005 Straus joined the House after winning a special election to replace District 121 state Representative Elizabeth Ames Jones in 2005.
2012 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).
2014 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.
2016 Two Tea Party movement candidates, Shelia Vernette Bean and former Olmos Park City Council member Jeff M. Judson, challenged Straus in the primary election on March 1, 2016.
Straus raised $8 million for his 2016 primary contest with Bean and Judson.David Saleh Rauf, "In Texas, candidates eyes are focusing on TV," San Antonio Express-News, January 17, 2016, pp. 1, A17 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.David Saleh Rauf, "Mega donors bolster tea party: Billionaire family fuels anti-Straus bid", San Antonio Express-News, January 22, 2016, pp. 1, A8 Bean and Judson criticized Straus as having been insufficient aggressive in promoting anti-sanctuary cities legislation, abortion restrictions and school vouchers.John W. Gonzalez, "Straus cites district's interests in next run: House speaker kicks off campaign", San Antonio Express-News, January 22, 2016, pp. A3, A4 Judson also challenged Straus on property taxes in Texas, although Texas property taxes are set by municipal officials, not state officials such as Straus, and although Texas has no state income taxes.Filipa Ioannou, "Rival targets Straus on taxes in Texas", San Antonio Express-News, January 24, 2016, pp. A3, A4 In a campaign email, Judson invoked blamed a 2015 murder by a Mexican illegal immigrant on Straus;Gilbert Garcia, "Judson email blames 2015 killing on Straus", San Antonio Express-News, February 19, 2016, p. A2 the email was criticized by Susan Pamerleau, who defended Straus, said that Judson's "use of a grieving father to accuse Joe Straus of a horrific murder committed by a career criminal is deplorable and irresponsible"; and said that "No one has done more to secure the border than" Straus. Straus said that his record includes improvements in the water infrastructure, transportation, and public and higher education. Straus was endorsed by the San Antonio Express-News, which hailed him as a "decent, effective leader [who] has focused on solving major problems that face the state, such as ... transportation and water" and noted that he successfully pushed to passage "conservative issues "on many fronts", including tough abortion restrictions, the defunding of Planned Parenthood, and the state's voter identification law."Re-elect Joe Straus to the Texas House", San Antonio Express-News, February 7, 2016, p. F2
Straus's San Antonio colleague, Republican Lyle Larson, in a campaign letter to the San Antonio Express-News, praised the speaker as "not flashy, nor is he politically motivated. He's just interested in getting the job done. ... [He] has led the Texas House in passing some of the most conservative and constructive legislation in Texas history ..."Lyle Larson, "Speaker Straus gets the job done for conservatives", San Antonio Express-News, January 29, 2016, p. A13 John Shields, a Republican former state representative and former member of the Texas State Board of Education, supported Judson.
Straus easily won the primary, receiving 15,737 votes (60.2 percent). Judson trailed with 7,434 votes (28.5 percent), and Bean drew 2,956 (11.3 percent). Straus then ran unopposed in the November 8 general election. The San Antonio Express-News called Straus' victory a "big win" and a "big repudiation" to conservatives who had tried unsuccessfully to pin a liberal label on Straus in hopes of defeating him for his legislative seat and thereby removing him as the speaker. The newspaper said Straus "treats everyone fairly, and that approach should be commended instead of condemned.""In Straus' big win, a big repudiation", San Antonio Express-News, March 5, 2016, p. A14
Speakership (2009–2019) Election Archconservative Tom Craddick of Midland was elected speaker of the House in 2003. Over his tenure, he earned enemies for an autocratic style, freezing out Democrats and financing challengers to incumbents in both parties. Republicans disgruntled with Craddick's leadership attempted to remove him at the end of the legislative session in 2007, but Craddick would not allow a vote to come to the floor.
In the 2008 elections, Republicans nearly lost their majority in the Texas House. Eleven moderate Republican members of the Texas House (known as "Anybody but Craddick" or "ABCs"), who included several powerful committee chairman, formed an alliance with Democrats to field a moderate Republican challenger to Craddick. On New Year's Day in 2009, the 11 chose Straus as a compromise candidate.James C. McKinley Jr., Texas Rebellion Gives a Centrist a Lift, New York Times (January 27, 2009).Aman Batheja, How a chaotic night in the Texas House paved the way for Speaker Straus, Texas Tribune (November 9, 2017).
Tenure as speaker Straus ran without opposition as speaker on January 13, 2009, at the beginning of the 81st Texas Legislature. Straus' election was seen as a defeat for the socially conservative wing of the Republican Party of Texas. Straus was the first Jewish speaker since Texas statehood, following David S. Kaufman, who was speaker of the Congress of the Republic of Texas from 1839 to 1841.
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.
After becoming 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.Ross Ramsey, House Committees Named, Texas Tribune (February 9, 2011).
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."Legislature opens; Straus re-elected", Laredo Morning Times, January 9, 2013, p. 10A 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."
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. 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.
As speaker, Straus put an emphasis on bipartisan cooperation, compromise, 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.