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Texas lieutenant governor Democratic runoff: Who is running and what to know

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By Renzo Downey and María Méndez, The Texas Tribune
April 24, 2026

Editor’s note: To help readers learn more about primary runoff candidates, The Texas Tribune has compiled background information on the Democrats seeking their party’s nomination for lieutenant governor in the May 26 runoff. For a full list of candidates, view our primary runoff ballot page. For more information on the runoffs and the voting process, check out our guides and news coverage here.

About the elected seat: The lieutenant governor, Texas’ second-highest state executive, presides over the state Senate and, in that role, largely controls the flow of legislation in the chamber. Because of this, the office is often described as the most powerful in Texas government. The Senate’s rules put the lieutenant governor in charge of the chamber’s agenda and standing committees, along with bestowing the power to break ties and decide procedural questions. Taken together, this gives the office significant influence over which bills make it to the governor’s desk and how much clout each senator wields. Additionally, the lieutenant governor co-chairs the Legislative Budget Board, which develops the state budget, and sits on the Legislative Redistricting Board, which is in charge of redrawing political maps if the Legislature fails to do so.

What’s at stake: Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a close ally of President Donald Trump who chaired all three of his presidential campaigns in Texas, is seeking a fourth term. As lieutenant governor, Patrick has spent the last decade pushing the Legislature steadily to the right. Patrick’s ouster would create a vacuum in Texas Republican politics and within the Senate, where he has built a stable of reliable GOP allies who often march in lockstep with their presiding officer. Although the lieutenant governor is currently one of the most powerful offices in the state, much of that authority is granted by the Senate rules approved by the chamber each regular session. If a Democrat is elected in November, the Republican-led Senate would likely rewrite its rules to strip the office of its major powers, marking a significant shift in the dynamics of the Legislature. 

Patrick won his primary outright in March, easily dispatching three lesser-known candidates. In the Democratic runoff for lieutenant governor, state Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin has pitched herself as a longtime advocate for public schools also focused on housing affordability, water infrastructure and health care access. Meanwhile, Houston-area labor leader Marcos Vélez, who finished second in the March 3 election, has presented himself to voters as a blue-collar worker seeking affordability for ordinary Texans.

Candidates at a glance:

Campaign site

Vikki Goodwin

Republican, incumbent

💰 Campaign finance as of Feb. 21, 2026:

  • $159,313 cash on hand

💰 Major donors this cycle:

  • Anne Hilbert – $7,551.83
  • Coleen Reatha Beck – $7,000
  • Karen Conyngham – $6,765.27
  • Jeff Weems, oil and gas attorney and 2010 railroad commissioner candidate — $5,000
  • John Bumgarner, Tulsa real estate magnate — $5,000

🏢 Experience:

  • Democratic state representative first elected in 2018, defeating then-incumbent state Rep. Paul Workman, a Republican from Spicewood
  • Represents southwest Austin and Travis County
  • Authored Cati’s Act in 2023, creating drowning prevention requirements for child care organizations, including camps
  • Sponsored the Natalia Cox Act in 2023, providing notice for victims of domestic violence

Political ideology:

  • Consistently ranked as one of the most liberal Texas House members by Rice University political science professor Mark Jones
  • Whip (i.e. vote wrangler) of the Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus

Policy stances:

  • Increase public school funding and teacher pay
  • Invest in water infrastructure and water recycling
  • Pass the Fair Rent Incentive Act to incentivize lower rent
  • Repeal the state’s abortion ban
  • Expand Medicaid

In the news:

Endorsements:

  • Democratic U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar of Austin
  • 30+ Democratic state representatives
  • Austin City Council members Ryan Alter, Marc Duchen, Vanessa Fuentes, Natasha Harper-Madison, Krista Laine, Zo Qadri and Chito Vela
  • Jack Kirfman, former Austin-area union leader
  • Annie’s List, Texas Progressive Caucus, Coalition of Democratic Allies and other state and local organizations
  • The editorial boards of the Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Austin American-Statesman, San Antonio Express-News and The Austin Chronicle

How to contact or learn more:

Campaign site

Marcos Vélez

Republican, incumbent

💰 Campaign finance:

  • $12,798 cash on hand

💰 Major donors this cycle:

  • Relentless PAC – $388,000, an in-kind donation for relational organizing
  • Houstonians for Working Families – $58,900, including in-kind donation for his campaign launch video
  • United Steel Workers – $20,000
  • Machinists Non-Partisan Political League – $5,000
  • Ironworkers State Committee on Political Education (COPE) – $5,000

Experience:

  • Labor leader
  • Assistant director of United Steelworkers District 13
  • Former oilworker
  • Received the USW’s Jefferson Award in 2018

Political ideology:

  • Pro-labor
  • Pro-working families
  • Opposes “corporate greed”

Policy stances:

  • Provide more property tax relief
  • Increase the minimum wage
  • Increase public school funding and teacher pay
  • Protect rural water and farmland
  • Support working families over corporate political donors
  • Increase affordability for seniors

In the news:

📣 Endorsements:

  • Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, 2024 Senate nominee
  • Service Employees International Union
  • Latino Victory Fund
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Texas Alliance for Retired Americans
  • Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, Houston Progressive Caucus and other local organizations

How to contact or learn more:

Disclosure: Annie’s List and Rice University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.

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