Democratic state Rep. Vikki Goodwin won the Texas lieutenant governor race, unseating Republican incumbent Dan Patrick. The Associated Press called the race early Wednesday. As of 4:50 a.m., Goodwin had nearly 52% of the vote to Patrick's 46%. She is the first woman elected to the office.
Goodwin's win came as Democrats also won other statewide races, including James Talarico's U.S. Senate victory and Gina Hinojosa's defeat of Gov. Greg Abbott. Goodwin declared victory at a Democratic watch party in downtown Austin, where cheers grew loud enough to drown out parts of her speech. She also pointed to Sarah Eckhardt's win in the comptroller's race. "We are ready to lead Texas," Goodwin said.
Patrick conceded in a statement late Tuesday. "It was a fair election, and I accept the majority will of the voters," he said. He was seeking a fourth term. Goodwin called for increasing public school funding and teacher pay. Patrick has been a leading advocate for property tax cuts, private school vouchers and restrictions on abortion and THC products.