Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick warned that Republicans could face a difficult path to maintaining their dominance in the traditionally red state, citing both internal party divisions and broader political headwinds ahead of the midterm elections.
Speaking Wednesday at the Texas Public Policy Foundation's annual conference in Austin, Patrick said Republicans are "going to have a tough time holding the Texas House," the Texas Tribune reported.
Patrick's warning offered a rare public acknowledgment of vulnerability in a chamber the GOP has controlled for more than two decades.
He urged unity following a bitter Senate primary runoff between U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton, warning that lingering divisions could cost Republicans not only the high-profile Senate race but also down-ballot contests.
"Get over it and come together as one," Patrick said, directing his message to the two candidates representing different factions of the conservative movement.
He cautioned that without a unified front, Republicans risk losing the Senate seat to Democrat James Talarico — an outcome he said could tip control of the U.S. Senate and weaken Republican candidates across Texas.
Patrick's concerns reflect broader challenges facing Republicans nationally, including voter frustration over affordability and political fallout tied to the war in Iran.
In Texas, those pressures are compounded by intraparty infighting and recent warning signs, including competitive races in traditionally Republican areas and a Democrat win in a district President Donald Trump carried comfortably in 2024.
Still, Republican leaders are pushing back on the notion that the party is in retreat.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows struck a defiant tone, pledging to defend the GOP majority and emphasizing the state's economic record under Republican leadership.
"We will not lose the Texas House. We will fight to retain every Republican seat," Burrows said.
"I look forward to the fall campaign where we get to talk about Texas' prosperity under Republican leadership; and I trust the voters of Texas to continue to vote for conservative government up and down the ballot."
Republicans currently hold 88 of the 150 seats in the Texas House, meaning Democrats would need to flip at least 14 to gain control.
While the GOP maintains a comfortable edge, Patrick pointed to the 2018 midterms, when Democrats flipped a dozen seats, as a reminder that shifts are possible in a volatile political climate.
With Patrick himself on the ballot seeking reelection, the stakes are high.
His warning underscores a growing sense within the party that maintaining its long-standing grip on Texas politics may require greater unity and a response to economic and geopolitical concerns shaping voter sentiment.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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