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

Toyota Expands San Antonio Manufacturing Plant with $3.6B Investment

Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas will invest $3.6 billion to…

30 minutes ago

John Cornyn Highlights One Year of Working Families Tax Cuts Act

U.S. Senator John Cornyn marked the first anniversary of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act,…

59 minutes ago

Trump's FIFA Phone Call Sparks Controversy for the U.S. Team

Controversy over a red card issued to the United States’s Folarin Balogun has taken a…

2 hours ago

LONESTAR — 7.7.2026 — Lawmakers Reflect on AI— Ken Paxton Secures $13M Walmart Settlement— and More...

250 Years of Innovation. Now Comes AI. As America marked its 250 anniversary last week,…

4 hours ago

Ken Paxton Secures $13 Million Walmart Settlement for Texas Spark Drivers

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has secured a settlement with Walmart, requiring the company…

23 hours ago

Big Digital Energy Announces Texas AI Data Center Joint Venture

Big Digital Energy has announced plans to develop a large-scale artificial intelligence data center campus…

24 hours ago