Joe Straus III, the former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, combines extensive experience in business, public service, and leadership. He is a Principal with La Cima Partners, LLC, a strategic consulting business, and a Partner in Bennett & Straus, LLC, a San Antonio-based insurance, investments, and executive benefits firm.
Speaker Straus was elected to the Texas House of Representatives representing northern Bexar County in 2005. Four years later, his House colleagues elected him to serve as Speaker (the presiding officer of the House) and he served for 10 years, becoming the longest-serving Republican Speaker in Texas history. Widely praised for his inclusive approach to leadership, Speaker Straus prioritized core responsibilities of governing such as education, infrastructure, and private-sector growth. As a result of his principled leadership in defense of the state’s business climate, the Dallas Morning News named Speaker Straus its 2017 Texan of the Year.
During his time as Speaker, he served as Co-Chair of the Legislative Budget Board, which guides and oversees state fiscal and budgetary policy, and Co-Chair of the Texas Legislative Council, which is the agency responsible for drafting and analyzing legislation in Texas. As a champion of pro-growth economic policies and private-sector job growth, he worked closely with CEOs and corporate leaders to understand their needs and challenges.
Soon after leaving the Texas Legislature in early 2019, Speaker Straus founded the Texas Forever Forward Political Action Committee. The committee promotes a positive future for Texas through high-quality schools, workforce development, proactive mental health care, and a strong business climate. The committee has given Speaker Straus a platform from which he has remained one of the most recognized thought leaders in Texas.
A strong fundraiser, Speaker Straus is a Board Member and former Chair of the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee and has traveled extensively to support legislative candidates and engage with business leaders and elected officials. He is also actively involved with the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and is on the Boards of Trustees for the Brookings Institution and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute. He serves on the Board of Directors of Texas 2036 and the Honorary Board of Directors at the SMU John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies.
Speaker Straus is a fifth-generation Texan and a San Antonio native. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. He and his wife, Julie, live in San Antonio and have two adult daughters.