2026 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election
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November 3, 2026
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
The 2026 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the lieutenant governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican Dan Patrick is running for a fourth term.[1] Primary elections were held on March 3, 2026, with a Democratic runoff election held on May 26.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Dan Patrick, incumbent lieutenant governor (2015–present)[1]
Eliminated in primary
- Perla Muñoz Hopkins, educator[2]
- Timothy Mabry, business consultant[3]
- Esala Wueschner, candidate for Austin City Council in 2022[4]
Endorsements
Dan Patrick
- Executive branch officials
- Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[1]
- Governors
- Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas (2015-present)[5]
- Labor unions
- Organizations
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Perla Hopkins |
Timothy Mabry |
Dan Patrick |
Esala Wueschner |
Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas/ Texas Politics Project[9] |
February 2–16, 2026 | 326 (LV) | ± 5.4% | 2% | 3% | 87% | 1% | 8%[b] |
Results
Patrick
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
- 90–100%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dan Patrick (incumbent) | 1,784,213 | 84.7 | |
| Republican | Timothy Mabry | 186,447 | 8.9 | |
| Republican | Perla Muñoz Hopkins | 108,034 | 5.1 | |
| Republican | Esala Wueschner | 27,186 | 1.3 | |
| Total votes | 2,105,880 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Vikki Goodwin, state representative from the 47th district (2019–present)[10]
Eliminated in runoff
- Marcos Velez, union representative[11]
Eliminated in primary
- Courtney Head, contracts and privacy manager[11]
Declined
- Joaquin Castro, U.S. representative from Texas’s 20th congressional district (2013–present) (running for re-election)[12]
- Veronica Escobar, U.S. representative from Texas’s 16th congressional district (2019–present) (running for re-election)[13]
- Nathan Johnson, state senator from the 16th district (2019–present) (running for attorney general)[14]
Endorsements
Vikki Goodwin
U.S. representatives
- Greg Casar, TX-35 (2023–present) and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus[15]
- Lloyd Doggett, TX-37 (1995–present) [15]
- John Bryant, TX-5 (1983–1987) and State Representative from HD-114 (2023–present)[15]
- State Legislators
- Alma Allen, HD-131 (2005–present)[15]
- Diego Bernal, HD-123 (2015–present)[15]
- Salman Bhojani, HD-92 (2023–present)[15]
- Rhetta Bowers, HD-113 (2019–present)[15]
- John Bucy III, HD-136 (2019–present)[15]
- Liz Campos, HD-119 (2021–present)[15]
- Sheryl Cole, HD-46 (2019–present)[15]
- Nicole Collier, HD-95 (2013–present)[15]
- Lulu Flores, HD-51 (2023–present)[15]
- Sarah Eckhardt, SD-14 (2020–present) and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts nominee [15]
- Erin Gamez, HD-38 (2022–present)[15]
- Josey Garcia, HD-124 (2023–present)[15]
- Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, HD-120 (2017–present)[15]
- Jessica González, HD-104 (2019–present)[15]
- Mary González, HD-75 (2013–present)[15]
- Cassandra Hernandez, HD-115 (2025–present)[15]
- Donna Howard, HD-48 (2006–present)[15]
- Jolanda Jones, HD-147 (2022–present)[15]
- Venton Jones, HD-100 (2023–present)[15]
- Suleman Lalani, HD-76 (2023–present)[15]
- Ray Lopez, HD-125 (2019–present)[15]
- Christian Manuel, HD-22 (2023–present)[15]
- Terry Meza, HD-105 (2019–present)[15]
- Joe Moody, HD-78 (2009–2011;2013–present)[15]
- Christina Morales, HD-145 (2019–present)[15]
- Penny Morales Shaw, HD-148 (2021–present)[15]
- Claudia Ordaz, HD-79 (2021–present)[15]
- Mihaela Plesa, HD-70 (2023–present)[15]
- Ramon Romero Jr., HD-90 (2015–present)[15]
- Ron Reynolds, HD-27 (2011–present)[15]
- Ana-Maria Ramos, HD-102 (2019–present)[15]
- Jon Rosenthal, HD-135 (2019–present) and Texas Railroad Commission nominee [15]
- Chris Turner, HD-101 (2013–present)[15]
- Erin Zwiener, HD-45 (2019–present)[15]
- Organizations
- Newspapers
Marcos Velez
U.S. representatives
- Colin Allred, former TX-32 (2019–2025), and 2024 U.S. senate nominee[15][n 1]
- Labor unions
- Organizations
First round
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Vikki Goodwin |
Courtney Head |
Marcos Velez |
Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas/ Texas Politics Project[9] |
February 2–16, 2026 | 181 (LV) | ± 7.3% | 63% | 10% | 15% | 12%[c] |
Goodwin
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 80–90%
Velez
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- >90%
Head
- 30–40%
- 60–70%
Tie
- Tie
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Vikki Goodwin | 1,012,055 | 48.0 | |
| Democratic | Marcos Isaias Velez | 663,499 | 31.5 | |
| Democratic | Courtney Head | 431,833 | 20.5 | |
| Total votes | 2,107,387 | 100.0 | ||
Runoff
Results
Goodwin
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 80–90%
Velez
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 90–100%
Tie
No votes
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Vikki Goodwin | 375,969 | 67.8 | |
| Democratic | Marcos Isaias Velez | 178,841 | 32.2 | |
| Total votes | 554,810 | 100.0 | ||
Third-party and independent candidates
Candidates
Declared
- Mike Collier (Independent), certified public accountant, Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor in 2018 and 2022, Democratic nominee for Comptroller in 2014[25][26][27]
- Anthony Cristo (Libertarian), nominee for Texas's 15th congressional district in 2018, and nominee for Texas's 34th congressional district in 2020[28]
- Jeffery Wayne Marshall (Independent)[27]
- Kevin McCormick (Green), former teacher[29]
General election
Polling
Dan Patrick vs. Vikki Goodwin
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Dan Patrick (R) |
Vikki Goodwin (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Public Opinion Research[30] | August 21–24, 2026 | 1,000 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 47%[d] | 41% | 4%[e] | 8% |
| University of Texas/Texas Politics Project[31] | August 5–13, 2026 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.83% | 42% | 35% | 7%[f] | 16% |
| Texas A&M University/ReconMR/Siena University[32] | July 27-30, 2026 | 619 (LV) | ± 4.7% | 46% | 48% | 6% | |
| Texas Southern University[33] | July 27–30, 2026 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 46% | 39% | 3%[g] | 12% |
| University of Texas/YouGov[34] | June 5–12, 2026 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 3.47% | 43% | 36% | 5%[h] | 16% |
| Texas A&M University/ReconMR[35] | June 1–4, 2026 | 807 (LV) | ± 4% | 49% | 44% | 2%[i] | 5% |
| Texas Southern University/YouGov[36] | April 22 – May 5, 2026 | 1,223 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 47% | 40% | 4%[j] | 9% |
| University of Texas/Texas Politics Project[37] | April 10–20, 2026 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.83%[k] | 35% | 31% | 7% | 27% |
| UT Tyler[38] | February 13–22, 2026 | 1,117 (RV) | ± 3.1% | 47% | 42% | – | 11% |
| University of Texas/Texas Politics Project[37] | February 2–16, 2026 | 1,300 (RV) | ± 5.1% | 37% | 31% | 8% | 25% |
| University of Houston/YouGov[39] | January 20–31, 2026 | 1,502 (LV) | ± 2.5% | 46% | 41% | 4%[l] | 9% |
| UT Tyler[40] | May 28 – June 7, 2025 | 1,154 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 46% | 42% | – | 12% |
See also
Notes
- ↑ Endorsement received after the first round of primary voting took place.
- 1 2 3 Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - ↑ "Someone else" with 8%
- ↑ "Someone else" with 12%
- ↑ With voters who lean towards a given candidate
- ↑ "Would not vote in that race" with 2%; Anthony Cristo (L) & Jeffrey Marshall (I) with 1%
- ↑ Anthony Cristo (L) with 4%; Someone else with 2%; Kevin McCormick (G) with 1%
- ↑ Anthony Cristo (L) with 3%
- ↑ "Someone else with 3%; Anthony Cristo (L) with 2%; Kevin McCormick (G) with 1%
- ↑ "Wouldn't vote" with 1%; "Someone else" with 1%
- ↑ Anthony Cristo (L) with 3%; Kevin McCormick (G) with 1%
- ↑ ±3.35% adjusted for weighting
- ↑ Anthony Cristo (L) with 4%
References
- 1 2 3 Eubank, Britney; Carolan, Sam (April 11, 2025). "Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announces re-election bid". KVUE. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Candidate Information". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ↑ Luhrs, Tennyson (December 1, 2025). "Canyon Lake's Timothy Mabry answers call to run for Lieutenant Governor". Herald-Zeitung. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
- ↑ Royster, Rachel; Dearman, Eleanor (December 1, 2025). "Candidates are gearing up for the March 2026 primary. Here's who is running". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
- ↑ Downey, Renzo (January 22, 2026). "Texas lieutenant governor primary: Who is running and what to know". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- ↑ "CLEAT Political Action Committee". CLEAT. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ↑ "2026 Primary Election Endorsements". Texas Alliance for life. November 25, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ↑ "Texas Gun Rights – One Big Beautiful Ballot – 2026 Republican Primary". January 14, 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- 1 2 Henson, James; Blank, Joshua (February 23, 2026). "Competition Remains Fierce in Both U.S. Senate Primaries in Texas, According to Latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll". The Texas Politics Project. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ↑ Scherer, Jasper (May 20, 2025). "Democratic Rep. Vikki Goodwin to run for lieutenant governor". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- 1 2 "Candidate Information". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ↑ Dovere, Edward-Isaac (December 7, 2025). "Jasmine Crockett scrambles Democrats as she weighs a last-minute Texas Senate run | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ↑ Solender, Andrew (April 10, 2025). "A growing wave of House members is grasping for higher office". Axios. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ↑ Klibanoff, Eleanor (July 15, 2025). "Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson announces run for attorney general". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 "Texas lieutenant governor Democratic runoff: Who is running and what to know". The Texas Tribune. April 24, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Endorsements CFE Members". Center for Freethought Equality. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ↑ "Goodwin brings discipline to lieutenant governor's race | Endorsement". Austin American-Statesman. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ↑ "We recommend in the Democratic primary for Texas lieutenant governor". Dallas Morning News. February 14, 2026. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Star-Telegram endorsement: Democrats' most credible candidate for lt. governor". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ↑ "In the race for lieutenant governor, Democrats could use a Goodwin Endorsement". Houston Chronicle. the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board. February 10, 2026. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ↑ "In Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, Vikki Goodwin has vision, experience". San Antonio Express-News. January 29, 2026. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ↑ "March 2026 Primary Election Endorsements for the Austin Area • The Austin Chronicle". The Austin Chronicle. February 12, 2026. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas AFL-CIO COPE Announces 2026 Primary Election Endorsements". Texas AFL-CIO. January 25, 2026. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus Announces 44 Endorsements for March Primary". OutSmart. January 19, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ↑ Serrano, Alejandro (November 13, 2025). "Mike Collier to challenge Dan Patrick as an independent". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "'Partisan warfare is off the charts': Mike Collier ditches both parties in new bid to become Texas Lt. Governor". wfaa.com. November 13, 2025. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- 1 2 "Independent Declarations of Intent" (PDF). Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ Evans, Jordan. "Libertarian Anthony Cristo Announces 2026 Bid for Texas Lieutenant Governor". independentpoliticalreport.com. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Candidates for the 2026 Nomination Conventions". Green Party of Texas. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ "New Poll: In Texas General Election, Talarico Leads Paxton by Six Points; Abbott Leads Hinojosa by Seven Points". Texas Public Opinion Research. August 27, 2026. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
- ↑ "University of Texas / Texas Politics Project Poll – Texas Statewide Survey" (PDF). University of Texas. August 25, 2026. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Statewide Races: Remain Close, With Movement Toward Dems Since June" (PDF). Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas 2026: U.S. Senate, Governor, and Other Statewide Races" (PDF). Texas Southern University. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
- ↑ "University of Texas / Texas Politics Project Poll Texas Statewide Survey" (PDF). University of Texas. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas Pulse Poll Powered by Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government & Public Service and ReconMR" (PDF). Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- ↑ "THE NOVEMBER 2026 ELECTIONS IN TEXAS: U.S. SENATE, GOVERNOR & LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR" (PDF). May 18, 2026. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
- 1 2 "Texas Statewide Survey" (PDF). Texas Politics Project. April 29, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas Voter Survey" (PDF). University of Texas at Tyler. February 27, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas Primaries 2026" (PDF). University of Houston. February 11, 2026. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "UT Tyler – Topline Report of Texas Voters" (PDF). University of Texas at Tyler. June 24, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
External links
Official campaign websites