Republican state Rep. Leo Berman of Tyler says he plans to run for speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
Berman told the Tyler Morning Telegraph he planned to file his official paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission on Tuesday.
Berman wants to unseat GOP House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio, who won the leadership post in 2009 with the help of Democrats and Republicans.
Berman contends that he, not Straus, is a true conservative. Berman was elected to the House in 1998.
He addressed a tea party rally in April, speaking against what he called federal government overreach. Berman has championed bills to crack down on illegal immigration, but nine pieces of legislation he filed in 2009 failed to pass.
The Legislature convenes in January.
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