http://tpr.org en http://tpr.org/post/straus-needs-76-votes-hold-speaker-seat <p></p><p>When the 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives gavel into session Tuesday, Republican Speaker Joe Straus will be looking to keep his seat as the top man; to do so he only needs a simple majority: 76 votes.</p><p>However, he does have a challenger: Republican David Simpson from Longview. It is only Simpson's second term as a representative, but the former businessman was also mayor of the City of Avinger in 1993.</p> Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:20:12 +0000 Ryan Loyd 4408 at http://tpr.org Straus Needs 76 Votes to Hold Speaker Seat