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Dan Patrick Warns GOP Could Lose Texas House, Urges Cornyn and Paxton to Unite

The remarks suggest party leaders see real risk from a split Senate primary.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks as the lawmakers debate a bill on a redrawn U.S. congressional map during a special session in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks during the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s annual policy summit at the AT&T Executive Hotel & Conference Center in Austin on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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Overview

  • Patrick, speaking Wednesday at the Texas Public Policy Foundation summit in Austin, told John Cornyn and Ken Paxton to endorse the GOP runoff winner to keep Democrat James Talarico from taking the U.S. Senate seat.
  • He said Republicans will have a tough time holding the Texas House this fall if party infighting keeps some voters home.
  • Republicans control 88 of 150 House seats, so Democrats need 14 to flip the chamber, which would reshape the 2027 agenda on property taxes and private school tuition aid.
  • As evidence, he pointed to January’s Tarrant County special election where Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a district Trump carried by 17 points after a Republican refused to back the party’s runoff nominee.
  • The Cornyn–Paxton runoff is set for May 26, and Patrick said even a 10% to 15% drop-off from the losing camp could let Talarico, who secured the Democratic nomination in March, win the Senate race.