Outgoing Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Thursday that Democratic victories across the state had changed its political standing, describing Texas as purple while rejecting the idea that it had become firmly Democratic. The election results handed Democrats the governor’s office, a U.S. Senate seat and control of the Texas House.
Speaking on the latest episode of the "Lt. Dan Podcast," Patrick said Democrats had been more successful at bringing their voters to the polls. But he identified independent voters, particularly those who participate in general elections without voting in either party’s primaries, as the decisive factor. Republicans had usually won those voters, he said, but failed to do so this time.
Patrick argued that the outcome did not necessarily signal a lasting Democratic advantage. He said those same voters had largely supported the president two years earlier and backed Gov. Greg Abbott, Patrick and other Republicans four years earlier. Their choices, he said, reflected changing views about the people in power. "Right now, I’d say it’s purple," Patrick said, adding that Republicans would need to work hard to prevent Texas from becoming a blue state in 2028, 2030 and 2032.
Patrick lost his own re-election campaign to Democrat Vikki Goodwin. Abbott, who sought a fourth term as governor, was defeated by Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also lost his U.S. Senate bid to Democrat James Talarico. The Democratic sweep of statewide races ended decades of Republican dominance in those contests and left Sen. Ted Cruz as the only Republican holding statewide elected office.
The Texas results formed part of broader Democratic gains around the country, including in other traditionally Republican strongholds. Patrick said his party had lost support among voters and in areas where it had advanced in 2024, specifically citing young voters and the Rio Grande Valley.
Like President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other Republican leaders, Patrick attributed the party’s losses last week primarily to frustration over affordability and the Iran war. He said financial pressure had overwhelmed Republican campaign messages, with voters struggling to cover food, bills and transportation. Agreement with Republicans on cultural or policy questions, he argued, was not enough to secure votes from people unable to afford groceries.
Fuel costs were part of that pressure. AAA put the national average gasoline price at $3.91 per gallon on Thursday, compared with $3.08 a year earlier, an increase of about 83 cents. Patrick acknowledged that the Middle East war had contributed to higher fuel prices.
Despite that economic impact, Patrick maintained his support for Trump’s decision to attack Iran. He argued that action could have been justified if intelligence indicated Iran was approaching a nuclear weapon, citing potential threats to Israel and the possibility of a wider war. His backing of the decision, he said, did not change its effect on costs.
