AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Early voting for the May 26 primary runoff begins Monday, and Democratic voters have the chance to decide who will represent the party in the race for lieutenant governor.

The lieutenant governor is part of the “Big 3” and one of the most powerful positions in the Texas government. The position serves as the president of the Texas Senate and holds immense power over which issues are prioritized because of the power to assign committees and deciding when bills are brought to the floor for a debate.

State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, will face off against labor union activist Marcos Velez in the runoff. In March, Goodwin nearly secured the nomination but fell just short of receiving a majority of the votes. She secured 48% of the votes cast with Velez coming in second with 31.5% of the votes.

The two candidates share similar policy positions but the main distinction is the level of experience in public office. Goodwin has served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives and feels that experience will be needed to head the Senate.

“I think it’s really important that whoever is lieutenant governor has some background in how the legislature works and has some relationships with the other members — both senators and representatives,” Goodwin said.

Although he has not held public office in the past, Velez believes his background in representing laborers as a member of the United Steelworkers makes him ready for a Big 3 position.

“I think people are interested in candidates that come from their lived experiences, people that are in the same tax bracket as them, people that get up, punch a clock, go to work every single day,” Velez said.

Both candidates are trying to energize voters to head to the polls in the runoff election and ultimately in November.

“If we win the lieutenant governor’s race, working class people have a voice and we can stop bad legislation from impacting us,” Velez said.

“We have to connect the dots for people and let them understand how important the lieutenant governor’s role in shaping policy that impacts their everyday lives,” Goodwin explained.

Vikki Goodwin

Here’s a look at Goodwin’s priority policy positions:

Public education: Goodwin said she wants to increase the basic allotment for public schools and raise the salaries for teachers. She wants to decrease the amount of standardized testing and fight against the new Texas Education Freedom Accounts, which is a program that gives public dollars to families to help pay for the costs of sending their kids to private school.

Water: Goodwin wants to require stronger water conservation from big industrial water users; invest in systems that recycle treated wastewater for landscaping and industrial processes; and fix leaky infrastructure.

Housing affordability: Goodwin proposes lowering the property assessment cap for landlords who charge fair market value on rent; creating an automatic homestead exemption program; and reducing unnecessary regulations on housing development.

Healthcare: Goodwin proposes restoring full reproductive care in Texas; expanding Medicaid; addressing high maternal mortality rates; and expanding mental health resources.

Data centers: Goodwin believes counties should have more land use authority when it comes to data center development.

You can read a full breakdown of Goodwin’s policy positions on her campaign website here.

Marcos Velez

Here’s a look at Velez’s priority policy positions:

Raising minimum wage: Velez said he wants to raise the minimum wage in Texas to rebuild the middle class.

Public education: Velez wants to increase funding to public schools by making the state pay the same amount of dollars to schools as homeowners do and wants to increase teacher salaries.

Functional government for the people: Velez said he will push for transparency and policies “that reflect the needs of working families rather than the wishes of the ultra wealth.”

Texas seniors: He wants to push for priorities that ensure stability for seniors for housing, healthcare and utilities.

Data centers: Velez believes data centers should be built through project labor agreements and does not believe the centers should be built in areas where the community does not want them.

You can read a full breakdown of Velez’s policy positions on his campaign website here.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.