Vikki Goodwin Unseats Dan Patrick in Texas Lieutenant Governor Race
The Democrat takes the state's second highest office after 12 years of Republican control, winning by a 6-point margin in initial counts.
By Adriana Abebe ·
Democratic State Rep. Vikki Goodwin has defeated incumbent Republican Dan Patrick to take the seat of Texas lieutenant governor. Initial precinct counts show Goodwin secured 52 percent of the vote, while Patrick received 46 percent, according to the Associated Press.
Goodwin will serve as the state’s second highest-ranking official for the next four years. In that role, she holds considerable influence over state legislation and the budget.
Patrick served in the position for 12 years. He was a close ally of President Donald Trump. On his campaign website, the incumbent described himself as a "preeminent voice for principled conservative policies both in Texas and across the nation."
Goodwin campaigned on a platform focused on public education, clean water, energy, affordable housing, comprehensive healthcare, and THC regulation. Her focus on these issues helped her unseat the long-time incumbent.
The campaign featured a dispute over two AI-generated attack ads. In September, Goodwin filed a criminal complaint against Patrick. She claimed the ads violated state law on deepfake videos. The spots showed AI-generated images of Goodwin wearing a shirt that read "taxes" instead of "Texas" at a University of Texas football game.
Patrick removed the ads from social media. A spokesperson for Patrick told the New York Times that the spots were "obvious parody produced to entertain." Results remain preliminary until certified by the Texas Secretary of State's Office.
