Lt. Governor
StatewideDan Patrick (R) faces Vikki Goodwin (D) for Lt. Governor on November 3, 2026.
Patrick cruised to the Republican nomination with 84.8%. Vikki Goodwin won the Democratic runoff over Marcos Velez 67.8% to 32.2% and faces Patrick on Nov 3.
Incumbent: Dan Patrick(R)
Presides over the Texas Senate, controls committee assignments, and sets the legislative agenda, widely considered the most powerful office in Texas government.
November General Election
Nov 3, 2026No major handicapper rates Texas down-ballot statewide races. Dan Patrick, lieutenant governor since 2015, is defending the seat against Democratic state representative Vikki Goodwin of Austin. ReconMR/Siena surveyed likely voters September 8-11 and reported Goodwin at 47% and Patrick at 46%, with 5% undecided or refusing to answer. Two late-July polls remain held out of the headline average because they measured different ballots: Texas Southern University's four-way question, which named a Libertarian and a Green, had Patrick up 46-39, while Texas Pulse's two-way question had Goodwin up 48-46. Both found that most likely voters did not know enough about Goodwin to rate her. Mike Collier, the Democratic nominee against Patrick in 2018 and 2022, tried to reach the ballot as an independent this year; a federal judge declined in August to order him onto it over the state's signature requirements, and he is not running. Patrick's 2018 reelection was the closest of his statewide wins at 4.8 points, but his 2022 rematch with Collier widened to about 10. The rating reflects structural lean and incumbency, not a forecast.
The November ballot, explained
Texas race coverage by email, only when something changes before Nov 3.
Runoff result
Primary Runoff
Winner.Vikki Goodwin
Marcos VelezMarch primary result
Primary Results
Winner.Dan Patrick(i)Vikki GoodwinMarcos Velez
Courtney HeadPolls vs. Results
Republican Primary
| Candidate | Party | Poll prediction (%) | Actual result (%) | Difference | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Patrick | Republican | 87% | 84.7% | -2.3 | Winner |
| Timothy Mabry | Republican | No poll data | 8.9% | N/A | |
| Perla Hopkins | Republican | No poll data | 5.1% | N/A | |
| Esala Wueschner | Republican | No poll data | 1.3% | N/A |
Republican nominee
Democratic nominee
State Representative, HD-47
Also on the ballot
- Anthony CristoLibertarian
- Kevin McCormickGreen
Certified for the November 3 ballot by the Texas Secretary of State, August 28, 2026.
Lt. Governor
GOP Primary
| Candidate | Support |
|---|---|
| Dan Patrick | 87% |
General Election Polling
| Pollster | Date | Sample | Patrick | Goodwin | Undec. | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReconMR / Siena Research InstituteFielded September 8-11, 2026. ReconMR/Siena's nonpartisan Texas Poll. Prompt named only Patrick and Goodwin; 1% chose someone else, 1% would not vote, and 5% did not know or refused. Mixed live telephone and text-to-web voter-file sample; telephone interviews in English and Spanish. MOE includes design effects. | Sep 2026 | 614 LV±4.3 MOE | 46% | 47% | 5% | Tied |
| Texas Public Opinion ResearchTPOR director Luke Warford is a Democratic strategist. Ballot named Libertarian Anthony Cristo at 1% and independent Jeffrey Marshall at 1%. Fielded before the Aug 28 ballot certification; the ballot test named independent Jeffrey Marshall, who did not qualify for the November ballot. | Aug 2026 | 1,000 LV±3.3 MOE | 47% | 41% | — | Patrick +6 |
| UT Texas Politics ProjectBallot named Libertarian Anthony Cristo at 4%. Registered voters, not likely voters. | Aug 2026 | 1,200 RV±2.83 MOE | 42% | 35% | — | Patrick +7 |
| Texas Southern UniversityFour-way ballot naming Anthony Cristo (L) 3% and Kevin McCormick (G) under 1%; 12% undecided. 73% of likely voters did not know enough about Goodwin to rate her. Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center; SMS-to-web, fielded Jul 27-30, coauthored by Rice's Mark P. Jones. Sampling frame and weighting variables are not disclosed in the report. | Jul 2026 | 1,200 LV±2.83 MOE | 46% | 39% | — | Patrick +7 |
| Texas Pulse / ReconMRTexas A&M Bush School consortium, fielded Jul 27-30, released Aug 7. MOE is the core-question figure (n=619); two-way ballot. 56% of likely voters had no opinion of Goodwin. Patrick led 49-44 in the June wave. | Jul 2026 | 619 LV±4.7 MOE | 46% | 48% | — | Tied |
| UT TylerPolled before Goodwin won the May 26 runoff; a hypothetical matchup at the time. | Feb 2026 | 1,117±3.4 MOE | 47% | 42% | — | Patrick +5 |
| UH Hobby School of Public AffairsPolled before Goodwin won the May 26 runoff; a hypothetical matchup at the time. | Jan 2026 | — | 46% | 41% | — | Patrick +5 |
Each row is one poll, shown as reported. Headline cards separately average eligible independent likely-voter polls; see the methodology page. “Tied” means the reported gap is within the poll's stated uncertainty, not that the candidates have equal support. An undecided share appears only when explicitly recorded from the source; a dash means it has not been recorded. Independently rounded categories may not sum to 100%. Likely-voter (LV) and registered-voter (RV) samples are not directly comparable.
Endorsement Tracker
Democratic runoff endorsements
Marcos Velez(2)
Frequently Asked
Who is running against Dan Patrick in 2026?
Democratic state representative Vikki Goodwin of Austin is running against Dan Patrick for lieutenant governor. Goodwin won the May 26, 2026 Democratic runoff and faces Patrick, the Republican incumbent since 2015, on November 3.
Who is running for Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 2026?
Republican incumbent Dan Patrick, lieutenant governor since 2015, faces Democratic state representative Vikki Goodwin of Austin in the November 3, 2026 general election.
When is the 2026 Texas Lieutenant Governor election?
The general election is November 3, 2026. The voter registration deadline is October 5, and early voting runs October 19 to 30.
How did Vikki Goodwin become the Democratic nominee?
Goodwin advanced from the March 3 primary and won the May 26, 2026 Democratic runoff against Marcos Velez. She has represented an Austin-area district in the Texas House since 2019.
Who else is on the ballot for Lt. Governor in 2026?
Beyond the Republican and Democratic nominees, Anthony Cristo is the Libertarian candidate, and Kevin McCormick is the Green candidate. The full November 3 ballot was certified by the Texas Secretary of State on August 28, 2026.
Key Dates
Also on the November ballot
Paxton vs. Talarico for U.S. SenateOther statewide races
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