Does Dan Patrick deserve a third term as Texas lieutenant governor? Here’s our answer
Newcomers to Texas — and many natives who don’t pay much attention to politics — may not realize that the lieutenant governor wields real power in state government.
The old cliche about No. 2 being the most influential job might be overstated these days, given how recent governors have expanded their reach. But by controlling the flow of legislation and setting the agenda in the Senate, two-term Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has steadily pushed the state to the right, sometimes stymied only by the House.
Texas needs to tack back to the middle. So, we recommend Democrat Mike Collier for lieutenant governor.
Collier offers a good mix of private-sector experience and sensible policy instincts. And perhaps most importantly, he would curtail Patrick’s war on local governments, opening the door to real improvements in education, healthcare and property taxes.
We don’t agree with Collier, a 61-year-old longtime accountant and businessman, on everything. His opposition to any school-voucher program and vagueness on abortion restrictions in our interview give us pause.
But Collier, who lives in the Kingwood area of Houston, would lead the way to more sensible policies on guns, improving Texas schools and bolstering healthcare access through Medicaid expansion. On these and other issues, Patrick, a longtime radio host before he entered politics, has always been a culture warrior, and it’s driven Texas too far out of the mainstream.
Patrick, 72, deserves credit for advocating, amid the 2021 power grid failure, for boosting electricity generation to keep Texas growth on track. But Collier isn’t likely to lead Texas energy policy amiss.
As a Democrat leading a Republican Senate, Collier would have to build consensus and allow senators to craft good policy. He would loosen the state’s grip on counties and cities to chart their own path. On both, Patrick, whose campaign did not respond to our interview request, would only tighten the reins.
Early voting begins Monday and ends Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 8. The lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
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How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.