Senfronia Thompson's Speaker Bid Puts Texas Carry Rights at Risk
Texas Gun Rights is warning gun owners that Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a Democrat, could gain the power to steer gun legislation through the Texas House if she wins the Speaker's gavel. The group says the 2026 midterms gave Democrats a House majority in Austin, along with a Democratic U.S. Senator and governor, according to the reporting that prompted the warning. Democrats have already filed dozens of anti-gun bills. TGR says Thompson's record matters more than the title, because the Speaker controls committee assignments and which bills get heard. The group's message is simple: judge the candidate by her votes now.
Key Details
Texas Gun Rights laid out Thompson's record in a news release. The group's main points:
- 2019 caucus letter: Thompson signed a House Democratic Caucus letter to Gov. Greg Abbott requesting an emergency special session on gun control.
- Proposed agenda: The letter reportedly called for red-flag confiscation without due process, universal gun registration, a ban on standard-capacity magazines, and restrictions on open carry.
- HB 1927 (2021): Thompson voted against final House passage of the Constitutional Carry bill, which removed the permit requirement for eligible adults to carry handguns.
- SB 20 (2021): Thompson voted against this bill protecting hotel guests' right to carry and store handguns and ammunition.
- SB 535 (2019): Thompson voted against removing the special criminal prohibition on licensed handgun carry in houses of worship.
TGR also says Thompson has signed a demand for red-flag laws and expanded background checks. The group notes that a claimed level of support does not equal a completed Speaker election. TGR president Chris McNutt put it plainly: the group will judge House leadership by what it does to gun rights, not by how friendly its members are in the Capitol. TGR also says the next fight will center on House rules, committee assignments, and which proposals receive hearings.
Background
Texas has long been one of the strongest carry states in the country. Constitutional Carry took effect in 2021 after Republicans passed HB 1927, ending the requirement that eligible adults obtain a state permit before carrying a handgun. Texas also has a license-to-carry program that remains available for people who want reciprocity with other states. Before 2021, the Legislature had already expanded carry rights in several areas, including places of worship, which is why the 2019 church carry vote matters to TGR's argument.
The national legal backdrop changed in 2022. In New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down New York's discretionary carry permit system and set a text-and-history test for Second Amendment cases. Under that test, the government must show that a modern firearm restriction matches the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. Texas has no red-flag statute, and proposals like the one Thompson's caucus backed in 2019 would face the same historical scrutiny that Bruen requires.
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
A Speaker controls the House calendar. That means the Speaker decides which bills reach the floor and which die in committee. Thompson does not need a majority of her own caucus to block carry legislation, but she can shape the committees that review it. Gun owners who carry in Texas should watch three things. First, watch committee assignments in the first weeks of the session. Second, watch which Judiciary and Criminal Jurisprudence bills get a hearing and which get referred to subcommittee. Third, watch for any bill that revives a red-flag process without due process protections, since that is the item most likely to reach a vote.
Gun owners in Texas should also track their own representatives' votes on carry bills. Campaign promises matter less than roll-call votes. If a member signs a caucus letter or votes against carry expansion, that record becomes the baseline for the next session. Gun owners in neighboring states should also watch closely. Texas sets the tone for the Southwest, and its carry policy influences travel, reciprocity talks, and national debates.
DownRange Analysis
The red-flag piece is the real test. A confiscation process that skips due process would struggle under Bruen. Courts have already questioned ex parte orders that remove firearms without a hearing, and a Texas statute that does so would invite a fast lawsuit. Universal registration faces the same historical problem. Magazine bans and open-carry restrictions have their own litigation track, and Texas courts have not been friendly to broad restrictions on carry. A Speaker can slow these bills down. A Speaker cannot make them constitutional.
Practically, gun owners should do three things now. Check your state representative's voting record on HB 1927, SB 20, and SB 535. Join or support Texas Gun Rights or another state rights group that tracks committee action. Keep your carry license current, because a permit still matters for reciprocity even under Constitutional Carry. Pressure leadership before the session starts, not after the first hearing.
