The membership of the Texas House is finally set after Tuesday’s general election — but the future of the chamber’s leadership remains a mystery. On Thursday, the jostling to hold the speaker’s gavel resumed with insurgent candidate Rep.

The outcome bolsters Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been pushing to stack the Legislature with Republicans supportive of his private school voucher plan.

Incumbent State Rep. John Lujan won re-election for Texas House District 118 during an election night that heavily favored Republicans in close races. Lujan defeated Democratic challenger Kristian Carranza with 51.7% of the vote.

Longtime incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar is holding onto his Texas House seat after being indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges this summer.

McLaughlin, who led the city through the aftermath of the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, defeated businesswoman Cecilia Castellano.

Republicans grew their majority in the Texas House with help from Gov. Greg Abbott, forging a path for a possible school voucher program next year.