National Politics

Vikki Goodwin Wins Democratic Party Runoff, Will Face Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in November

Democratic Party voters elected Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin) in Texas' runoff election to face Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in November.

As of 10:45 p.m., Goodwin had received 68 percent of the votes, while her opponent, Marcos Vélez received 32 percent, according to NBC News.

Goodwin, a Texas House District 47 representative since 2018, has spoken against private school vouchers throughout her campaign and has emphasized investing in the state's public school system.

"The recently-passed Voucher program threatens to pull billions of dollars out of public education to unaccountable private schools for the wealthy," Goodwin wrote on her campaign website.

In addition to public education, her priorities include investing in clean water and energy, affordable housing, and ensuring access to comprehensive healthcare.

Goodwin's opponent Vélez, a blue-collar Texas worker and labor leader, ran on a campaign of elevating the working class. Issues he focused on included battling stagnant wages and making housing more affordable.

"Texas needs a wage floor that respects the value of work and policies that lift working families instead of corporate profit margins. Adult children should not have to live with their parents into their 40s due to soaring costs and private equity purchasing single family homes," Vélez wrote on his campaign website.

Other issues he prioritized in his campaign included supporting public schools, protecting rural Texas, creating a transparent state government and protecting Texas seniors.

Looking to the general election in the fall, a recent survey shows that incumbent Patrick appears to garner 47 percent of the vote, ahead of Goodwin's 40 percent.

 

Ashley Paredes

Intern for Texas Politics and journalism student at the University of Texas at Austin

View Comments

Recent Posts

Supreme Court lets Trump administration use revamped federal voter eligibility database for now

NEW YORK (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday lifted restrictions on a controversial federal voter…

19 hours ago

Ken Paxton Launches Investigation Into Data Center Water Use

Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is investigating hundreds of Texas data center developments for compliance…

22 hours ago

Menefee Announced $4.2 Million Federal Grant for Texas Southern University

Texas Southern University will receive $4.2 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of…

23 hours ago

Encompass Health Plans Two New Rehab Hospitals in Montgomery County

Encompass Health Corp. plans to expand inpatient rehabilitation capacity in Montgomery County with two projects:…

23 hours ago

CenterPoint Selected for $50 Million DOE Grid Upgrade Award

CenterPoint Energy has been selected for a $50 million U.S. Department of Energy award to…

23 hours ago

Nuclear Innovation Clashes With Lawmakers' Call for Public Health Policy

Lawmakers are evaluating the Department of Energy’s (DOE) proposal to create Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses…

24 hours ago