Central Texas congressional Republicans are mum on their speaker preference,

Austin Democrat says new boss must hear both parties.

On the eve before a secret ballot vote among Republicans for the next speaker of the U.S. House, Central Texas congressional Republicans aren’t saying who they want to be second in line of succession to the president.

Four GOP members of Congress representing Central Texas districts including portions of Austin ignored requests this week for comment — Michael McCaul, Roger Williams, Lamar Smith and John Carter — and U.S. Rep. Bill Flores, a fifth Central Texas Republican, said through a spokesman he is still pondering the decision.

Austin Democrat U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett was quicker to provide a statement.

“This is not my circus, but unless the chosen speaker is more willing to permit consideration of bipartisan measures, Congress will keep stumbling from one manufactured crisis to another,” Doggett said Monday.

House Republicans will hold a closed-door meeting at 11 a.m. Thursday and cast secret ballots for speaker. Then, on Oct. 29, the entire House will choose their leader.

U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House’s majority leader who represents a district in California, is the presumed front-runner to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner of Ohio. He already has the support of Boehner.

But U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, who chairs the House Oversight committee, has mounted a challenge from the right. Chaffetz reportedly said that McCarthy lacks the support from the conservative wing of the party that pushed out Boehner.

As McCarthy is the front-runner, there may be little to gain politically in publicly supporting the insurgent candidate.

Several members of the Central Texas delegation weren’t shy in sounding off about Boehner’s surprise departure announcement last week.

Williams said: “I welcome the speaker’s decision to pass the torch on to new leadership. My focus now is on choosing a new leader to guide the House in a conservative direction. I hope all Republicans — including those in the Senate — are listening to what grassroots conservatives are saying: it is time for conservative leadership and conservative principles.”

The Associated Press reported that McCaul thanked Boehner for his “distinguished career,” and added that, “I wish him well in his retirement. I am hopeful that the Republican caucus will elect a new speaker that supports the conservative values and priorities that the American people support.”

Carter commended Boehner on social media for his “more than 25 years of service in the House” and said that the speaker “served our great nation with dignity.”