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Dan Patrick

R
Statewide · Lieutenant Governor · term ends 2027-01-19

Not returning: lost Nov 3, 2026 general to Vikki Goodwin (D) (unofficial).

Not yet reviewed

Official site @LtGovTX on X(handle: source) Roster source
75%kept rate · rank #3
3 / 4kept / rated
1in progress (not in rate)
5promises tracked
Promises (5) Donors Foreign-link leads (12) Positions & flips
Kept: 3In progress: 1Compromised/partial: 1

Pass a school choice plan in the 2023 legislative session.

Compromised/partial
Education · stated 2023-01-17 · promise source · due by 2023-12-31 (official's own deadline) · #14
“The Governor and I are all in on school choice. ... We are going to pass school choice.”
Stated
2023-01-17 · source
Filed
2025-01-24 · source
Committee
2025-01-29 · source
One chamber
2025-02-05 · source
Signed
2025-05-03 · source
In effect
2025-09-01 · source
Funded & in effect: TLO: Effective on 9/1/25.
Linked bills: SB 2 (89R)
Why Compromised/partial: At his Jan 17, 2023 inauguration Patrick vowed to pass school choice 'this session.' The Senate passed a 2023 voucher bill; the House blocked it in the regular session and in 2023 special sessions. An education savings account program was later created by SB 2 (89th) and signed May 3, 2025, with award notices in May 2026. Rated compromised/partial: the stated 2023 deadline was missed, then the policy was delivered two years later. (batch1-research-2026-11-10, 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC)
History (append-only)
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · Not yet rated (superseded 2026-11-10 14:12:39) — Newly tracked; not yet reviewed against evidence.
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · Compromised/partial (current) — At his Jan 17, 2023 inauguration Patrick vowed to pass school choice 'this session.' The Senate passed a 2023 voucher bill; the House blocked it in the regular session and in 2023 special sessions. An education savings account program was later created by SB 2 (89th) and signed May 3, 2025, with award notices in May 2026. Rated compromised/partial: the stated 2023 deadline was missed, then the policy was delivered two years later.
  • 2023-01-17 · step Stated (superseded) — source — Promise as stated in the cited source.
  • 2025-01-24 · step Bill filed (superseded) — source — SB 2 (89R), the bill that later delivered the ESA, filed. The 2023 House-blocked bills are not used as this promise's filing date.
  • 2025-01-29 · step Out of committee (superseded) — source — Senate Education K-16 reported SB 2 favorably (same TLO action dates as the Abbott school-choice record).
  • 2025-02-05 · step Passed one chamber (superseded) — source — Senate passed SB 2.
  • 2025-05-03 · step Passed both/signed (superseded) — source — Governor signed SB 2.
  • 2025-09-01 · step Funded & in effect (current) — source — TLO: Effective on 9/1/25.

Nearly double the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $70,000 and use the surplus for long-term property-tax relief.

Kept
Taxes · stated 2023-01-17 · promise source · #15
“the base budget soon to be unveiled in the Senate proposes to nearly double the current homestead exemption from $40,000 to $70,000.”
Stated
2023-01-17 · source
Filed
2023-07-10 · source
Committee
2023-07-12 · source
One chamber
2023-07-12 · source
Signed
2023-07-22 · source
In effect
2023-11-07 · source
Funded & in effect: Voters approved Prop 4 on Nov 7, 2023.
Linked bills: SB 2 (882)
Why Kept: The 2023 Legislature, in a special session, raised the school homestead exemption to $100,000 (above the $70,000 marker) via SB 2 / HJR 2 (88(2)); voters approved Prop 4 on Nov 7, 2023. Voters approved a further increase to $140,000 on Nov 4, 2025. (batch1-research-2026-11-10, 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC)
History (append-only)
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · Not yet rated (superseded 2026-11-10 14:12:39) — Newly tracked; not yet reviewed against evidence.
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · Kept (current) — The 2023 Legislature, in a special session, raised the school homestead exemption to $100,000 (above the $70,000 marker) via SB 2 / HJR 2 (88(2)); voters approved Prop 4 on Nov 7, 2023. Voters approved a further increase to $140,000 on Nov 4, 2025.
  • 2023-01-17 · step Stated (superseded) — source — Promise as stated in the cited source.
  • 2023-07-10 · step Bill filed (superseded) — source — SB 2 (88(2)) filed (same TLO action dates as the Abbott property-tax record).
  • 2023-07-12 · step Out of committee (superseded) — source — Senate Finance reported SB 2 favorably.
  • 2023-07-12 · step Passed one chamber (superseded) — source — Senate passed SB 2.
  • 2023-07-22 · step Passed both/signed (superseded) — source — Governor signed SB 2.
  • 2023-11-07 · step Funded & in effect (current) — source — Voters approved Prop 4 on Nov 7, 2023.

Add more megawatts of thermal (dispatchable) generation and strengthen the electric grid.

In progress
Energy · stated 2023-01-17 · promise source · #16
“We need dispatchable energy we can count on. We will add more megawatts of thermal generation and strengthen the grid.”
Stated
2023-01-17 · source
Filed
Committee
One chamber
Signed
In effect
Stated: Promise as stated in the cited source.
Stalled no milestone activity in 6 months
Why In progress: The 88th Legislature created the Texas Energy Fund (SB 2627) to finance dispatchable generation. By 2026 the fund had awarded billions in loans for thousands of megawatts of natural-gas plants, with the first projects coming online. The commitment to actually add the generation is underway but not fully in service, so it stays in progress. (batch1-research-2026-11-10, 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC)
History (append-only)
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · Not yet rated (superseded 2026-11-10 14:12:39) — Newly tracked; not yet reviewed against evidence.
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · In progress (current) — The 88th Legislature created the Texas Energy Fund (SB 2627) to finance dispatchable generation. By 2026 the fund had awarded billions in loans for thousands of megawatts of natural-gas plants, with the first projects coming online. The commitment to actually add the generation is underway but not fully in service, so it stays in progress.
  • 2023-01-17 · step Stated (current) — source — Promise as stated in the cited source.

Ban diversity, equity and inclusion offices and hiring practices at Texas public universities.

Kept
Higher education · stated 2023-02-13 · promise source · #17
Stated
2023-02-13 · source
Filed
no dated row
Committee
no dated row
One chamber
no dated row
Signed
no dated row
In effect
2024-01-01 · source
Funded & in effect: TLO last action: Effective on 1/1/24. Intermediate filed/committee/passage dates were not separately recorded in this pass.
Linked bills: SB 17 (88R)
Why Kept: Patrick listed banning DEI policies in higher-education hiring among his 30 priority bills on Feb 13, 2023. SB 17 (88R), relating to DEI initiatives at public institutions of higher education, became effective Jan 1, 2024 (TLO last action June 17, 2023). (batch1-research-2026-11-10, 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC)
History (append-only)
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · Not yet rated (superseded 2026-11-10 14:12:39) — Newly tracked; not yet reviewed against evidence.
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · Kept (current) — Patrick listed banning DEI policies in higher-education hiring among his 30 priority bills on Feb 13, 2023. SB 17 (88R), relating to DEI initiatives at public institutions of higher education, became effective Jan 1, 2024 (TLO last action June 17, 2023).
  • 2023-02-13 · step Stated (superseded) — source — Promise as stated in the cited source.
  • 2024-01-01 · step Funded & in effect (current) — source — TLO last action: Effective on 1/1/24. Intermediate filed/committee/passage dates were not separately recorded in this pass.

End gender-transition treatment for minors in Texas.

Kept
Health care · stated 2023-02-13 · promise source · #18
Stated
2023-02-13 · source
Filed
2023-06-02 · source
Committee
One chamber
Signed
In effect
Bill filed: Effective on 9/1/23 
Linked bills: SB 14 (88R)
Why Kept: Patrick's Feb 13, 2023 priority announcement included ending gender-transition treatment for young people. SB 14 (88R) prohibiting certain gender-transitioning procedures and medications for minors was enacted in 2023. (batch1-research-2026-11-10, 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC)
History (append-only)
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · Not yet rated (superseded 2026-11-10 14:12:39) — Newly tracked; not yet reviewed against evidence.
  • 2026-11-10 14:12:39 UTC · Kept (current) — Patrick's Feb 13, 2023 priority announcement included ending gender-transition treatment for young people. SB 14 (88R) prohibiting certain gender-transitioning procedures and medications for minors was enacted in 2023.
  • 2023-02-13 · step Stated (superseded) — source — Promise as stated in the cited source.
  • 2023-06-02 · step Bill filed (current) — source — Effective on 9/1/23