Darby Files to Run for Speaker of the Texas House

SAN ANGELO, TX -- State Representative Drew Darby has filed to run for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. The Speaker is the presiding officer of the House. The Speaker's main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees and enforce the Rules of the House.  

“After prayerful consideration, discussions with my family, and at the urging of my House colleagues, today I filed paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission to start a speaker campaign for the 86th Legislative Session.

In the coming weeks, I plan to visit with every House member to discuss the priorities of their district and how the Texas House of Representatives can work together to put forward good policies to keep Texas the number one state to live, work and raise a family.

God Bless Texas.” said Darby in a statement Friday.  

The previous Speaker, Joe Staus, announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election.  Darby joins State Rep. Travis Clardy of Nacogdoches, Tan Parker of Flower Mound, Phil King of Weatherford and John Zerwas of Richmond, as well as Democrat Eric Johnson of Dallas.

Darby represents a rural district in the House of Representatives.  According to Darby, there are more state representatives in Harris County than there are west of I-35.  

Prior to Joe Straus, Tom Craddick of Midland served as Speaker from 2003 to 2009.  

According to his website, Darby was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2006 to serve the people of House District 72, which includes Tom Green County along with Coke, Concho, Glasscock, Howard, Irion, Reagan, Runnels and Sterling counties.  

He is a native of San Angelo and attended San Angelo public schools. Representative Darby graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Finance and minoring in Accounting. He earned a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas in 1971 and is a graduate of the Emerging Political Leaders Program at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.

Darby is currently serving as Chairman of the Energy Resources Committee, Chairman of the Select Committee on State and Federal Power and Responsibility Committee and as a member of the Ways and Means Committee and Redistricting Committee. In previous sessions, Representative Darby has served as a member of the Legislative Budget Board, the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas Advisory Committee and as a subcommittee chairman for the House Committee on Appropriations.

Darby also owns Surety Title with offices throughout West Texas, and Of Counsel to the Energy and Real Estate practice group at the law firm of Jackson Walker, LLP. He is a member of the Texas Farm Bureau, the National Rifle Association, and the Texas Sheep and Goat Raiser's Association.

Drew and his wife, Clarisa, have five children and four grandchildren. They are members of the First Presbyterian Church of San Angelo.