Patrick Outlines Policy Priorities in West Texas
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick made a campaign stop in Lubbock on Wednesday, aiming to bolster support among voters ahead of the November election. Patrick is seeking his fourth term as the state’s second-highest executive official.
First elected as Lieutenant Governor in 2014, Patrick previously served eight years in the Texas Senate. As the leader of the Texas Senate, the Lieutenant Governor holds significant power over the flow of legislation into the chamber.
During his visit, Patrick highlighted affordability and property tax relief as central themes of his campaign. He stated that lowering the age requirement for certain senior exemptions would be a primary goal if reelected.
Patrick compared the current age threshold to industry standards used by restaurant chains. “If it’s good enough for Denny’s to say you’re a senior at 55 for a discount on the grand slam breakfast, it’s good enough for us,” Patrick said.
He claimed that lowering the exemption age to 55 would save the average homeowner between $10,000 and $12,000 during the period between ages 55 and 65. Additionally, Patrick pledged to eliminate maintenance and operations (M&O) taxes that schools use to fund operations.
“We’re going to eliminate all school M&O taxes for every homeowner in the next two sessions,” Patrick said, adding that 39% of homeowners currently do not pay any more school M&O tax in the state when combining every one.
Energy Infrastructure and Grid Concerns
Beyond tax policy, Patrick stated he is focused on the state’s electric grid and infrastructure. He outlined a plan to build more natural gas plants as data centers continue to put a strain on the ERCOT grid.
Patrick cited a recent conversation with ERCOT’s President and CEO, Pablo Vegas, regarding this pressure. He quoted Vegas as saying the grid is under stress because of data centers and that they are not at the point yet where they can put power back on the grid.
Justifying the need for additional natural gas capacity, Patrick noted demographic shifts in the state. “We’ve added 12 million people since 2000,” he said, claiming he will add another 10 to 12 million in another 15 years. He asserted that relying only on windmills and solar panels is insufficient for this growth.
Goodwin’s Campaign Focus and Polling
Patrick’s Democratic opponent, Vikki Goodwin, has identified water and clean energy as key priorities of her campaign. Goodwin is the current Texas House representative for western Austin, a seat she has held since 2018.
Goodwin attended a protest against data centers in Lubbock in July, stating Texas has given too many incentives to data center developers. She claimed $1 billion worth of incentives were given to data centers in 2025 and that could grow to $3-3.5 billion in the coming years.
“We have this huge incentive for data centers and I want to make sure people understand what the situation is in Texas,” Goodwin said. She also accused Patrick of using his legislative power to serve his donors and enact an “extreme agenda.”
An August poll released by the Texas Politics Project showed Goodwin trailing Patrick 35% to 42%. If Goodwin wins, she would be the first Democrat to become lieutenant governor in 27 years and the first woman ever in the role.
“We’ve had Republican control for 30 years; it’s time for change,” Goodwin said, expressing a desire to bring about that change.
Election Timeline
The last day to register to vote is October 5, and early voting begins October 19. Voters will decide whether Patrick retains his position or if Goodwin makes history in the race for Texas’ second-highest executive office.