Democrat Vikki Goodwin leads Texas lieutenant governor race over Dan Patrick
The gist
Austin state Rep. Vikki Goodwin led Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in early lieutenant governor results.
Goodwin gave up her House seat to challenge Patrick's fourth-term bid.
How it unfolded
- 2018Goodwin flipped what had been a GOP district in Austin, defeating longtime Republican state Rep. Paul Workman.
- May 26, 2026Goodwin won a runoff to become the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, beating a Houston labor leader and first-time candidate.
- Sep 2026Patrick's campaign released AI-generated ads; Goodwin filed a police report saying they violated a 2019 Texas campaign law.