State Rep. Ritter Switches Parties - House GOP Needs One More For Supermajority [Politics]

Now the pressure is on Rep. Aaron Peña (D-Edinburg), who recently complained of the dire political straits Texas Democrats are facing. The interview touched off major speculation , particularly from the Texas Tribune and from Paul Burka of the Texas Monthly, that Peña could be thinking about switching teams. Last Friday, Peña issued an exclusive statement to the Rio Grande Guardian to address the ongoing questions:

I have received over 50 calls, from Democrats and Republicans alike.
Many of the Democrats are still thinking the party can be reformed and that perhaps, in a decade, we can be competitive again.

Many of the calls from Republicans, including lawmakers, were that our community can still have a seat at the table now. Why wait a decade when you can have opportunities now?

And so, after the large number of calls today and the growing speculation, I can say I am taking the matter under consideration and I will issue a public statement in the coming days, one way or the other.

I am who I am and my intention is to represent my community and to give them the best possible advantage under the current environment.

The November elections swelled the GOP ranks in the Texas House to 99 members. But the death of one of those members, coupled with Rep. Donna Howard's slim but recount-proof victory over Republican challenger Dan Neil put that all-important hundredth seat just out of reach.

Holding 100 of the 150 seats is more than just a matter of pride: this magic number would enable the GOP to pass constitutional amendments and move money out of the state's rainy day fund without any Democratic votes or roadblocks.

Even if Peña remains with the Democrats, the GOP could still reach 100 with a victory in tomorrow's election to fill the vacant seat following the passing of Rep. Ed Kuempel (R-Seguin), who died days after the November election.