Dan Patrick wins Texas lt. governor race
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Tea party-backed state Sen. Dan Patrick has been elected Texas lieutenant governor and will oversee the state Senate.
Patrick finished first in a bitter four-way Republican primary before crushing 11-year incumbent David Dewhurst in a runoff. The Houston resident then bested Democratic state Senate colleague Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio on Tuesday.
"Today, voters across this great state proved once again, that the conservative ticket prevails in the hearts of our fellow Texans. People are looking for leaders that are bold on the issues that are most important to them," Patrick said. "After 15 months of campaigning, including a strenuous primary, and a tough run-off with dozens of debates, over 1,500 meetings, phone calls, grassroots events and everything in between, today Texas voters sent a powerful message to the rest of the country - the liberal, Washington-style agenda my opponent so proudly boasted simply has no place in Texas."
Standing before her supporters in San Antonio on Tuesday, Van de Putte said her campaign went far and was proud of everyone who helped her run for office.
"I've been so blessed," she said.
Better funded in deeply conservative Texas, Patrick was the general election's wire-to-wire front-runner.
A radio talk show host, Patrick also headed the Senate Education Committee. He's a fierce proponent of school vouchers and charter schools.
Patrick has taken a hard-line stance on immigration, promising to secure the Texas-Mexico border at the expense of popular, long-standing policies.
Often confrontational, Patrick has vowed to cut property taxes but would consider raising sales taxes slightly.
The Associated Press contributed to this reportKeep checking back on this page to get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To get alerts for breaking news, download the ABC-13 news app for iPhone or Android. You can also get breaking news alerts sent to you by email.
