The election of Rep. Dustin Burrows as Texas House speaker with help from Democrats has many Republicans crying foul. Republican grassroots activists have made stripping Democrats’ political influence a central part of the reforms they are pushing for the House.

The vote suggested that a period of political warfare between G.O.P. factions would continue to shape lawmaking in the state.

Burrows, and his Republican supporters, voted for some of the most conservative bills ever passed by the Texas legislature, including passing the Heartbeat Act, permitless carry of handguns, property tax relief, banning gender transition surgery for minors, and allocating more than $11 billion for border security, among other issues.

The Republican establishment wing of the Texas House won out as state Rep. Dustin Burrows grabbed the chamber’s speakership in a highly contested vote. Burrows beat out the MAGA-favored state Rep. David Cook by a margin of 85-55 with the help of 49 Democrats and 36 Republicans.

Texas state Rep. David Cook was voted the state GOP’s nominee for House speaker in December, but state Rep. Dustin Burrows won the speakership in an 85-55 vote on Tuesday with the help of the chamber's Democrats.

The new speaker will have a dramatic impact on the direction of this year’s lawmaking — and potentially the future of the Legislature.

After current House Speaker Dade Phelan dropped his bid to keep the gavel in early December, one member of his leadership team, Representative Dustin Burrows of Lubbock entered the race pitting himself against Representative David Cook of Mansfield.