# Houston lawmaker Senfronia Thompson on brink of historic Texas House speakership

> Houston lawmaker Senfronia Thompson, 87, has enough votes to become Texas House's first woman and first Black speaker.
- Title: Houston lawmaker Senfronia Thompson on brink of historic…
- Summary: Houston lawmaker Senfronia Thompson, 87, has enough votes to become Texas House's first woman and first Black speaker.
- Keywords: senfronia thompson, texas house, first woman, first black, house speaker, democrat, houston, Houstonchronicle
- Source: Houstonchronicle — https://houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/senfronia-thompson-house-speaker-22515118.php
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: senfronia thompson, texas house, first woman, first black, house speaker, democrat, houston, news, local
## Thompson announces speaker bid
Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, announced she has enough votes to become Texas House speaker.
## Majority support for Thompson
Thompson said a majority of House members, including three Republicans, had already backed her bid.
## Historic leadership role
Thompson would be the first woman and first Black lawmaker to hold the powerful Texas House speaker position.
## State government milestone
Texas would be governed by three women for the first time in state history.
## Thompson's leadership philosophy
Thompson said the gavel belongs to the people of Texas, not to Republicans or Democrats.

> The gavel doesn’t belong to me. The gavel does not belong to the Republicans nor the Democrats. The gavel belongs to the people of this state.
## Thompson's committee approach
Thompson committed to appointing committee chairs from both parties to ensure expertise.

> We’ve got to have expertise on both sides.
## Thompson's legacy
Thompson has represented Texas House District 141 since 1973, making her the longest-serving woman in the Legislature.
## Key takeaway

Senfronia Thompson, the longest-serving Democrat in Texas House, will become the first woman and first Black speaker of the Texas House.