AUSTIN (AP) - Tom Craddick made history four years ago when he became the first Republican to lead the Texas House since 1871. Now he could be the first Texas speaker to be voted out of the powerful office.

Michael Phillips, a Texas historian writing a book about the office of House speaker, said no one in the job has ever had it taken away by a vote of his peers. Then again, he said no one has ever exercised the almost unbridled power that has come to characterize Craddick