Last week I reported on the explosive secret tape conservative lobbyist Michael Quinn Sullivan released of a conversation he had with Speaker of the Texas House Dennis Bonnen (R-HD25-Houston) and former Republican Caucus Chairman Dustin Burrows (R-HD83-Lubbock). Needless to say, the reaction from both, Republicans and Democrats, has been damning.
On Friday at the fall meeting of the GOP Caucus Bonnen offered his resignation as Speaker. Ultimately the offer was rejected when the GOP realized that a resignation would require the Governor to call a Special Session.
Some Representatives offered a tepid statement of support:
Statement of Jeff Leach, Matt Shaheen, Justin Holland, and Scott Sanford.
But after massive negative feedback from their constituents, even they walked back their support.
So today, Dennis Bonnen made it official, he won’t be running for re-election in 2020 (filing in Texas begins in 18 days):
”After much prayer, consultation, and thoughtful consideration with my family, it is clear that I can no longer seek re-election as State Representative of District 25, and subsequently, as Speaker of the House,” Bonnen, who is from Angleton, said in a statement, which included a list of 43 House Republicans — a majority of the House GOP Caucus — that the speaker said “have made clear that it is in the best interest of both myself and the House to move on.”