Joe Straus

For the professional baseball player, see Joe Strauss. For people with similar names, see Joseph Strauss.
Joe Straus
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
In office
January 13, 2009 – January 8, 2019
Preceded byTom Craddick
Succeeded byDennis Bonnen
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 121st district
In office
February 10, 2005 – January 8, 2019
Preceded byElizabeth Ames Jones
Succeeded bySteve Allison
Personal details
Born
Joseph Richard Straus III

(1959-09-01) September 1, 1959 (age 65)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJulie Brink
Children2
EducationVanderbilt University (BA)
Signature

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.[1][2]

During his career in the state House, Straus was a moderate,[3] "business-friendly, country club Republican"[4] who sometimes clashed with the party's social conservative wing.[3] 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,[5][6] and another conservative group that spent millions of dollars in attempts to defeat Straus and allied state legislators in Republican primary elections.[5]

  1. ^ Morris, Allie (October 25, 2017). "San Antonio's Joe Straus, Texas Speaker of the House, won't seek re-election". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  2. ^ Svitek, Patrick (Jan 27, 2018). "Texas Republican executive committee censures House Speaker Joe Straus". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved Jun 3, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Paul Burka, Regular Joe, Texas Monthly (April 2009).
  4. ^ Christopher Hooks, Burning Down the House: Joe Straus and the End of the Moderate Texas Republican, Texas Observer (October 25, 2017).
  5. ^ a b 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).
  6. ^ Matthew Watkins, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus says he will not seek re-election, Texas Tribune (October 25, 2017).