Lt. Governor
StatewideVikki Goodwin (D) won the Texas lieutenant governor race with 51.7% of the vote to Dan Patrick's (R) 45.6%, as called by the Associated Press.
Vikki Goodwin vs. Dan PatrickNovember 3 results
Anthony Cristo (Libertarian) 1.7% · Kevin McCormick (Green) 0.9%
State count last updated Nov. 4, 4:18 p.m. CT. Unofficial until the Legislature canvasses the race after it convenes Jan. 12, 2027.
Counties must finish their canvass by Nov. 17, and totals can change until then.
Presides over the Texas Senate, controls its committee assignments, and sets its legislative agenda.
Before Election Day: Ratings and Analysis
Written before Election Day and not updated with returns. Ratings and polls describe the race before any returns were reported.
Patrick won the Republican nomination with 84.7%. Vikki Goodwin won the Democratic runoff over Marcos Velez 67.8% to 32.2% and faces Patrick on Nov. 3.
No major forecaster rates this race. 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. Texas Southern University surveyed 1,800 likely voters September 15-19 on a four-way ballot naming the Libertarian and Green nominees and had Patrick ahead 47% to 41%, with 9% unsure. The University of Houston's October 10-14 survey of 2,000 likely voters had Patrick ahead 47% to 42%, with 7% undecided. The University of Texas/Texas Politics Project's September 25 to October 5 poll, which pressed undecided voters to choose, had Goodwin ahead 49% to 46%. The headline average combines these four polls and Texas Southern University's October 21-25 survey, which had Patrick ahead 49% to 45%. 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. In August, a federal judge declined to order him onto the ballot 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.
November Polling Before Election Day
Every poll here was conducted before Election Day. They stay here for comparison with the returns.
| Pollster | Date | Sample | Goodwin | Patrick | Undec. | Reported Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 254 Labs / YouGov BluePolitical sponsor · excluded from average · includes leaners | Oct. 26, 2026 | 1,000 registered voters, weighted to likely-voter targets±4.6 MOE | 48% | 45% | — | Goodwin +3 |
| Texas Southern University | Oct. 25, 2026 | 2,000 LV±2.19 MOE | 45% | 49% | 3% | Patrick +4 |
| Texas Public Opinion ResearchPolitical sponsor · excluded from average · includes leaners | Oct. 18, 2026 | 969 LV±3.9 MOE | 46% | 49% | 3% | Patrick +3 |
| University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs | Oct. 14, 2026 | 2,000 LV±2.19 MOE | 42% | 47% | 7% | Patrick +5 |
| UT Texas Politics ProjectIncludes leaners | Oct. 5, 2026 | 861 LV±3.34 MOE | 49% | 46% | 0% | Goodwin +3 |
| Stratus IntelligencePolitical sponsor · excluded from average | Sept. 24, 2026 | 865 LV±3.5 MOE | 44% | 49% | — | Patrick +5 |
| Texas Public Opinion ResearchPolitical sponsor · excluded from average · includes leaners | Sept. 22, 2026 | 1,007 LV±3.6 MOE | 44% | 47% | — | Patrick +3 |
| Texas Southern University | Sept. 19, 2026 | 1,800 LV±2.31 MOE | 41% | 47% | 9% | Patrick +6 |
| ReconMR / Siena Research Institute | Sept. 11, 2026 | 614 LV±4.3 MOE | 47% | 46% | 5% | Goodwin +1 |
| Texas Public Opinion ResearchPolitical sponsor · excluded from average | Aug. 24, 2026 | 1,000 LV±3.3 MOE | 41% | 47% | — | Patrick +6 |
| UT Texas Politics ProjectRegistered voters · excluded from average | Aug. 13, 2026 | 1,200 RV±2.83 MOE | 35% | 42% | — | Patrick +7 |
| Texas Southern UniversityUnder comparability review · excluded from average | July 30, 2026 | 1,200 LV±2.83 MOE | 39% | 46% | — | Patrick +7 |
| Texas Pulse / ReconMRUnder comparability review · excluded from average | July 30, 2026 | 619 LV±4.7 MOE | 48% | 46% | — | Goodwin +2 |
| UT TylerNot a likely-voter sample · excluded from average | Feb. 22, 2026 | 1,117±3.4 MOE | 42% | 47% | — | Patrick +5 |
| UH Hobby School of Public AffairsNot a likely-voter sample · excluded from average | Jan 2026 | — | 41% | 46% | — | Patrick +5 |
254 Labs / YouGov Blue · Oct. 26, 2026 · 1,000 registered voters, weighted to likely-voter targets · ±4.6 MOE
Goodwin 48% · Patrick 45%Goodwin +3
Political sponsor · excluded from average · includes leaners
Texas Southern University · Oct. 25, 2026 · 2,000 LV · ±2.19 MOE
Goodwin 45% · Patrick 49%Patrick +4Undec. 3%
Texas Public Opinion Research · Oct. 18, 2026 · 969 LV · ±3.9 MOE
Goodwin 46% · Patrick 49%Patrick +3Undec. 3%
Political sponsor · excluded from average · includes leaners
University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs · Oct. 14, 2026 · 2,000 LV · ±2.19 MOE
Goodwin 42% · Patrick 47%Patrick +5Undec. 7%
UT Texas Politics Project · Oct. 5, 2026 · 861 LV · ±3.34 MOE
Goodwin 49% · Patrick 46%Goodwin +3Undec. 0%
Includes leaners
Stratus Intelligence · Sept. 24, 2026 · 865 LV · ±3.5 MOE
Goodwin 44% · Patrick 49%Patrick +5
Political sponsor · excluded from average
Texas Public Opinion Research · Sept. 22, 2026 · 1,007 LV · ±3.6 MOE
Goodwin 44% · Patrick 47%Patrick +3
Political sponsor · excluded from average · includes leaners
Texas Southern University · Sept. 19, 2026 · 1,800 LV · ±2.31 MOE
Goodwin 41% · Patrick 47%Patrick +6Undec. 9%
ReconMR / Siena Research Institute · Sept. 11, 2026 · 614 LV · ±4.3 MOE
Goodwin 47% · Patrick 46%Goodwin +1Undec. 5%
Texas Public Opinion Research · Aug. 24, 2026 · 1,000 LV · ±3.3 MOE
Goodwin 41% · Patrick 47%Patrick +6
Political sponsor · excluded from average
UT Texas Politics Project · Aug. 13, 2026 · 1,200 RV · ±2.83 MOE
Goodwin 35% · Patrick 42%Patrick +7
Registered voters · excluded from average
Texas Southern University · July 30, 2026 · 1,200 LV · ±2.83 MOE
Goodwin 39% · Patrick 46%Patrick +7
Under comparability review · excluded from average
Texas Pulse / ReconMR · July 30, 2026 · 619 LV · ±4.7 MOE
Goodwin 48% · Patrick 46%Goodwin +2
Under comparability review · excluded from average
UT Tyler · Feb. 22, 2026 · 1,117 · ±3.4 MOE
Goodwin 42% · Patrick 47%Patrick +5
Not a likely-voter sample · excluded from average
UH Hobby School of Public Affairs · Jan 2026
Goodwin 41% · Patrick 46%Patrick +5
Not a likely-voter sample · excluded from average
Methodology and source notes for 15 polls
254 Labs / YouGov Blue, Oct. 26, 2026
Fielded October 21-26, 2026 by YouGov Blue 'on behalf of 254 Labs'; released October 28. 1,000 Texas registered voters interviewed online and by text-to-web, quota-sampled, then weighted to likely-voter targets that 254 Labs supplied (including an early-vote turnout benchmark); the release headlines the results as likely voters, but no likely-voter count is published. Margin of error about 4.6 points. Respondents who had already voted were asked how they voted; undecided respondents were asked which way they lean and the lean answers are included in the totals. The release publishes no question wording, no first-choice result, and full crosstabs are subscriber-only. Who paid for the poll is not disclosed; listed as political because 254 Labs describes itself as a Texas political research and analytics organization that serves 'mission-aligned subscribers,' not because a payer was shown. Shown for reference and left out of the headline average.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)Texas Southern University, Oct. 25, 2026
Fielded October 21-25, 2026; released October 29. The Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at TSU reports a probability-based sample of 2,000 likely voters, +/-2.19-point margin of error, and a two-part likely-voter screen supplemented by past election participation. A random sample of registered voters was contacted by SMS and directed to an online survey in English or Spanish; weighted by multidimensional calibration on demographic, historical electoral, and geographic benchmarks. A little more than one-third of respondents had already voted, and the report calls the result vote intention. The report names no outside sponsor, publishes no question wording, and describes no leaned follow-up. Libertarian Anthony Cristo 2%, Green Kevin McCormick 1%, unsure 3%.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)Texas Public Opinion Research, Oct. 18, 2026
Fielded October 15-18, 2026, via an online panel; n=969 likely voters, margin of error ±3.9 points; weighted by gender, race, age, education, income, geography, and 2024 vote recall. Shown with leaners (Q43, "Intermediate Push," after undecided respondents were asked which candidate they lean toward). First-choice result (Q41): Patrick 48%, Goodwin 44%, undecided 6%. Libertarian Anthony Cristo 2%; Green Kevin McCormick shown as "-"; would not vote in that race shown as "-" in the topline. Still not sure after the lean question: 3%. TPOR's release headlines a "Final Push" result that asks remaining undecided respondents a second time and leaves none undecided; that forced result is not used. TPOR describes itself as a nonpartisan polling initiative and names no external commissioner. The site's copyright line names Luke Warford, whom the Texas Tribune (June 6, 2024) describes as the Texas Democratic Party's former chief strategy officer. This topline's page footer reads "Prepared by Slingshot Strategies"; September's read "Prepared by Texas Public Opinion Research."
Original poll release (opens in new tab)University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs, Oct. 14, 2026
Fielded Oct. 10 to 14, 2026 among 2,000 Texas likely voters contacted by SMS text and directed to an online survey, in English or Spanish. It was weighted by multidimensional calibration on demographic, historical electoral, and geographic benchmarks. The margin of error is ±2.19 points. The report and its Oct. 19 release publish no question wording and no separate questionnaire or topline document (as of Oct. 19, 2026, the Hobby School's Texas 2026 page links only this report, which prints the topline results). The report prints an undecided share and describes no leaner follow-up, the same disclosure standard as other polls in the average. No outside sponsor is named. Released Oct. 19, 2026. Libertarian Anthony Cristo 3%, Green Kevin McCormick 1%, undecided 7%.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)UT Texas Politics Project, Oct. 5, 2026
University of Texas / Texas Politics Project in-house poll (no outside sponsor), fielded Sept. 25 to Oct. 5, 2026. YouGov interviewed 1,253 Texas registered voters online and matched them to 1,200, weighted by propensity score and post-stratified on 2024 presidential vote, gender, age, race, and education. Likely voters (weighted base 861, 905 unweighted respondents) report the published ±3.34-point margin. Anthony Cristo (Libertarian) 2%, Kevin McCormick (Green) 1%, someone else 2%, not sure 0%. UT's published ballot folds in a forced follow-up ("If you had to make a choice, who would you choose?") among respondents who first said they didn't know, and the topline does not print the initial ballot. The initial ballot, computed from UT's posted microdata with its own likely-voter flag and weight, is Patrick 45.43%, Goodwin 46.66%, not sure 4.93%. Counted in the average under the leaner rule adopted Oct. 21, 2026: when a poll publishes a result that includes leaners, the table and average use it.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)Stratus Intelligence, Sept. 24, 2026
Stratus Intelligence memo, fielded September 22 to 24, 2026 among 865 likely voters; 81% SMS-to-web and 19% live phone; ±3.5 points. The memo names no sponsor and publishes neither question wording nor weighting. Breitbart (September 29) and the Wikipedia Senate-race listing report the poll was conducted for Texans for a Conservative Majority. Sponsored poll, shown with the sponsor disclosed and excluded from the headline average. The memo does not state the undecided share for this race.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)Texas Public Opinion Research, Sept. 22, 2026
Fielded September 19-22, 2026, via an online panel; n=1,007 likely voters, margin of error ±3.6 points; weighted by gender, age, race, education, 2024 vote recall, and geography. Initial ballot: Libertarian Anthony Cristo 1%, Green Kevin McCormick shown as a dash, would not vote 1%, undecided 9%. Shown with leaners, from the follow-up asked of undecided respondents. First-choice result: Patrick 46%, Goodwin 42%. TPOR describes itself as a nonpartisan polling initiative and names no external commissioner. The site's copyright line names Luke Warford, whom the Texas Tribune (June 6, 2024) describes as the Texas Democratic Party's former chief strategy officer.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)Texas Southern University, Sept. 19, 2026
Fielded September 15-19, 2026. The Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at TSU reports a probability-based sample of 1,800 likely voters, ±2.31-point margin of error, contacted by SMS and directed to an online survey in English or Spanish, with a two-part likely-voter screen supplemented by past election participation. The report does not name an outside sponsor. Four-way ballot naming Libertarian Anthony Cristo (2%) and Green Kevin McCormick (1%); 9% unsure; no leaned follow-up described. The report describes its sampling and survey method but not its weighting; our transparency rule requires a published methodology, sample size, margin of error, and public source, and this report meets it, as TSU’s statewide polls do.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)ReconMR / Siena Research Institute, Sept. 11, 2026
Fielded 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.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)Texas Public Opinion Research, Aug. 24, 2026
TPOR 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.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)UT Texas Politics Project, Aug. 13, 2026
Ballot named Libertarian Anthony Cristo at 4%. Registered voters, not likely voters.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)Texas Southern University, July 30, 2026
Four-way ballot naming Anthony Cristo (L) 3% and Kevin McCormick (G) under 1%, with 12% undecided. 73% of likely voters did not know enough about Goodwin to rate her. Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center. The poll used SMS-to-web, was fielded July 27 to 30, and was coauthored by Rice's Mark P. Jones. Sampling frame and weighting variables are not disclosed in the report.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)Texas Pulse / ReconMR, July 30, 2026
Texas A&M Bush School consortium, fielded July 27 to 30, released Aug. 7. MOE is the core-question figure (n=619). The ballot is two-way. 56% of likely voters had no opinion of Goodwin. Patrick led 49-44 in the June wave.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)UT Tyler, Feb. 22, 2026
Polled before Goodwin won the May 26 runoff; a hypothetical matchup at the time.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)UH Hobby School of Public Affairs, Jan 2026
Polled before Goodwin won the May 26 runoff; a hypothetical matchup at the time.
Original poll release (opens in new tab)
Each row is one poll, shown as reported. Before Election Day, headline cards averaged eligible likely-voter polls of the nominees taken since the runoff, leaving out polls sponsored by campaigns or political operatives and polls held out over method or ballot differences. See the methodology page. The reported gap is the difference between candidate percentages, not a finding of a statistically significant lead. 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.
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Runoff Result
Primary Runoff
March Primary Result
Primary Results
Polls 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.
Campaign Finance
Dataset updated Nov. 1, 2026Candidate accounts, plus the campaign committees named on each row. Super PACs and other outside groups are not included. Texas Ethics Commission figures cover one account and reporting period each, not a full cycle.
Texas Ethics Commission · Reporting period: Sept. 25, 2026–Oct. 24, 2026
Account: Texans for Dan Patrick committee (separate candidate account excluded)
Filing Details
Texans for Dan Patrick (SPAC, filer 00064090), 8-day-before-general report 101071302 filed Oct. 26, covering Sept. 25 to Oct. 24, 2026. Raised and spent are this report period's totals. Cash on hand is the period-end balance TEC reports as political contributions maintained. As with Abbott, the committee is shown because it holds the campaign's money. The separate Dan Patrick C/OH account (filer 00057897, report 101072774: $400,000.00 raised, $400,279.22 spent, $457.51 cash on hand) is excluded because adding accounts risks double-counting transfers. The filing reports $0.00 in outstanding loan principal.
Texas Ethics Commission · Reporting period: Sept. 25, 2026–Oct. 24, 2026
Account: Vikki Goodwin candidate account
Filing Details
Vikki Goodwin candidate/officeholder account (filer 00081436), 8-day-before-general report 101072464 filed Oct. 26, covering Sept. 25 to Oct. 24, 2026. Raised and spent are this report period's totals. Cash on hand is the period-end balance TEC reports as political contributions maintained. The filing reports $40,000.00 in outstanding loan principal.
| Candidate | Party | Raised | Spent | Cash on Hand | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Patrick | Republican | $5,539,879.94 | $19,455,578.38 | $11,319,734.39 | Texas Ethics Commission · Reporting period: Sept. 25, 2026–Oct. 24, 2026 |
| Vikki Goodwin | Democratic | $763,793.05 | $1,352,189.12 | $90,896.41 | Texas Ethics Commission · Reporting period: Sept. 25, 2026–Oct. 24, 2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Texas Lieutenant Governor race?
Vikki Goodwin (D) won the Texas lieutenant governor race with 51.7% of the vote to Dan Patrick's (R) 45.6%, as called by the Associated Press. Results are unofficial until the canvass.
Who was on the 2026 ballot for Texas Lieutenant Governor?
Vikki Goodwin (Democratic), Dan Patrick (Republican), Anthony Cristo (Libertarian), and Kevin McCormick (Green) were on the November 3 ballot.
Dan Patrick vs. Vikki Goodwin: who was on the ballot for Texas Lieutenant Governor?
Incumbent Republican Dan Patrick and Democrat Vikki Goodwin were the major-party candidates for Texas Lieutenant Governor on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Where can I see 2026 results for Texas Lieutenant Governor?
This page publishes Texas Secretary of State returns for Texas Lieutenant Governor as they become available. Election-night counts are unofficial until canvassed, and TexPolls marks a race called only after a named news organization calls it.
Key Dates
Also on the November ballot
Paxton vs. Talarico for U.S. Senate