Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has led the state Senate for more than a decade and has shaped it into an efficient machine that consistently produces legislation aligned with his ultraconservative agenda.
When Patrick has focused on free markets and smaller government, he has protected the “Texas Miracle” and benefited Texans. We appreciate his efforts to lower property taxes, though we would like to see greater relief for renters and younger homeowners.
Last session, he championed the creation of the Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas, which we welcomed.
Patrick was perhaps Gov. Greg Abbott’s greatest ally in the effort to bring a voucher-like program to Texas, declaring it his top priority for the Senate last session. That chamber’s plan for education savings accounts was more sweeping than the version that emerged from the Texas House, which included more needs-based criteria and tied student allotments to public school funding. Ultimately, Patrick endorsed the House plan, showing that he’s willing to compromise to some degree to get things done.
Opinion
Patrick is guided by his understanding of the Christian faith, and some of his most consequential work has been in support of the conservative evangelical agenda.
Patrick supported Texas’ near-total abortion ban, an extreme policy that overlooks nuances in pregnancy care and ignores complex moral questions about the development of human life. After reports of confusion in the medical community about when doctors would be allowed to end a pregnancy, Patrick supported clarifying language.
Patrick has provided a strong bulwark against the expansion of gambling and the legalization of marijuana in Texas.
He also supported the law that required schools to post the Ten Commandments in every classroom, which we see as a clear violation of the intent of the First Amendment.
In 2023, Patrick presided over the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton, which left many Texans, including us, deeply skeptical about the degree to which partisanship has overthrown values like integrity and justice in Austin.
Patrick undermined those values after the verdict was in, attacking House impeachment managers and saying taxpayers’ dollars were “wasted” in the effort.
Patrick has three challengers in this primary election, none of whom are appealing or likely to win.
Timothy Mabry, 33, is a Navy veteran whose campaign seems to be animated by the desire to legalize marijuana. He signed the Texas First Pledge, which calls for secession from the United States.
Perla Hopkins, 48, is an Air Force veteran who brags about getting kicked out of a school board meeting.
Esala Wueschner, 34, calls himself a citizen journalist running to “defend against the Zionist regime.”
Patrick has raised more than $9 million and is endorsed by President Donald Trump. As a campaigner and as a legislator, he is a formidable force. We’d like to see him distance from his party’s divisive, far-right wing and focus on issues that stabilize and strengthen Texas.
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