Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican leaving office, said Thursday that the state has “turned purple” after Democrats made major gains, winning statewide contests and taking control of the governor’s office, a U.S. Senate seat and the Texas House.
On the latest episode of his podcast, Patrick said Texas appeared to be shifting toward Democrats, though he stopped short of calling it a blue state.
“Right now, I’d say it’s purple,” he said. Republicans had won consistently, he noted, but Democrats turned out more of their voters this time. Independent voters—many of whom skip party primaries and vote only in general elections—also made a difference.
Republicans had generally won those voters in past elections, Patrick said. He pointed to their support for President Donald Trump two years ago and for Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans four years ago. “I wouldn’t say we are a blue state, but we’ve turned purple for this moment,” he said.
Patrick said the results reflected a broader wave shaped by national politics and voters’ changing views of whoever is in power. He warned Republicans they would need to work hard to keep Texas from turning blue in the 2028, 2030 and 2032 elections.
Patrick lost his re-election bid to Democrat Vikki Goodwin. Abbott, seeking a fourth term, was defeated by Democrat Gina Hinojosa, while Attorney General Ken Paxton lost his U.S. Senate race to Democrat James Talarico. Democrats won every statewide contest, ending decades of Republican dominance in races once considered reliable wins for the GOP. Sen. Ted Cruz was left as the state’s only Republican holding statewide elected office.
Patrick said Republicans lost support among groups and in areas where they had made gains in 2024, including young voters and residents of the Rio Grande Valley. Like Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other Republican leaders, he pointed to frustration over the cost of living and the war with Iran, which has pushed fuel prices higher.
AAA put the national average price of gas at $3.91 a gallon on Thursday, about 83 cents more than a year earlier.
Patrick described the election as a wave that swept across the country, with voters saying they could no longer afford groceries, bills or fuel. “People were unhappy, and I get it,” he said, adding that agreement with a candidate on cultural or policy issues may not translate into a vote if people are struggling to pay for food.
He also acknowledged that the conflict in the Middle East had raised fuel costs, but said he supported Trump’s decision to attack Iran. Patrick argued that without action, Iran might have obtained a nuclear weapon, potentially leading to a wider war or an existential threat to Israel. Still, he conceded the decision had affected voters.
