This story is part of the San Antonio Report’s 2026 Voter Guide. You can view all of the candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot here.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is seeking a fourth four-year term in a powerful role that oversees the Texas Senate.
Despite the influence that the lieutenant governor position holds, it gets relatively little attention outside the Texas Capitol, where Patrick has been a driving force in the GOP’s rightward march.
When the Texas House impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, Patrick’s more conservative chamber overturned it — while Patrick cashed $3 million in checks from Paxton’s biggest supporters.
The former conservative talk radio host is a major history buff who helped direct nearly a $500,000 toward redevelopment of the Alamo in San Antonio, where a new museum will house his personal collection of pop culture memorabilia.
Uncompetitive races have allowed Patrick to focus most of his energy on pushing fellow Republicans to the right, but this year he’s been warning his party that Democrats could flip the Texas House.
He faces three challengers in his own reelection race, including state Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin), who flipped a Republican-held seat in 2018. She’s been attacking Patrick for his crusade against THC products in Texas, but the race has drawn far less attention than other statewide contests on the ballot.
The four-way contest includes Libertarian Party nominee Anthony Cristo and Green Party nominee Kevin McCormick, both of whom taught public school in the San Antonio area.
