Texas Speaker race starts

AUSTIN (KXAN) - As expected, just one day after the Nov. 4 election, the race started heat up for the Speaker's post in the Texas House of Representatives. Republican Rep. Tommy Merritt (R-Longview) announced on Wednesday that he will run for the position, and believes he will do a better job of "bringing a uniformity and work across party lines to stop the train wreck."

Meanwhile, the Democratic representatives met behind closed doors at the AFL-CIO building in Downtown Austin. With 74 members in the House, just one person short of a tie with the Republicans, the party is feelinig confident it can unseat current Speaker Tom Craddick. "People for years have said we couldn't do this and we couldn't do that," said Rep. Jim Dunnam (D-Waco). "Instead of arguing, we have proved them wrong."

The House members inside the meeting said they have not settled on one solid candidate. The group is waiting to get the results of a recount in North Texas that could give the party one more seat, and therefore, the possibility of a Democratic speaker. Either way, the Democratics said they will be unified behind whatever decision they make. They said this year they will unseat Tom Craddick.

"I will say you can stick a fork in Tom Craddick," said Dunnam. "It's over." Craddick's communications specialist, Alexis DeLee, issued a statement in response. "The Republicans have maintained a majority in the House, and as long as this is the case we are confident that the Speaker will remain Speaker." Craddick has not yet released his list of supporters. DeLee said they would release the list on their own timetable.