Vikki Goodwin vows to lead Senate despite GOP push to curb her power

Houston Chronicle · John C. Moritz · 2026-11-05 23:25 UTC

The state Constitution requires that the lieutenant governor preside over the Senate, but the senators themselves decide how much power that holds.

As a Democrat elected to preside over the GOP-dominated Texas Senate, Lt Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin is well aware of the closed-door efforts to strip her new office of its traditional powers. But that doesn't mean she plans to be a mere figurehead when the Legislature convenes in January.

"It's a new environment, and so I think we're all going to be learning how to work within it," Goodwin, who upset three-term Republican Dan Patrick on Tuesday, said in an interview. "But I have hope for a collaborative environment in the Senate. I want to make sure everybody is getting things done that serve their constituents, and that we focus on the issues that got us into office."

Goodwin, little known outside of her House district in Austin, was part of a Democratic wave that toppled GOP incumbents in one of the most transformative elections in modern Texas. Above her in the Capitol pecking order will be Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa. And across the rotunda will be a Texas House run by Democrats for the first time since 2002.

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