Vikki Goodwin defeats Dan Patrick; Texas still needs a supermajority to change gambling law

Vikki Goodwin defeated Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick in the November 3, 2026 election, according to an unofficial Associated Press tally that showed about 52% to 46%. Goodwin and Gina Hinojosa, who also won statewide, will be sworn in in January 2027.

Result and immediate context

Goodwin, the state representative from Austin, denied Patrick a fourth term and will be the first Democratic lieutenant governor in 27 years, The Texas Tribune reported. The victory is reflected in an unofficial count that places Goodwin at roughly 52% and Patrick at 46%, per CBS Austin on November 4. Patrick conceded on election night:

"It was a fair election, and I accept the majority will of the voters," Dan Patrick said after the contest, according to press reports.

Hinojosa beat Greg Abbott in a race the Associated Press called for her; Abbott conceded at 10:00 p.m., The Texas Tribune reported. Both Hinojosa and Goodwin will take office in January 2027.

What this means for constitutional gambling amendments

Legalising sports betting or casinos in Texas requires a constitutional amendment. Article XVII of the Texas Constitution states a joint resolution proposing an amendment must receive two-thirds of all elected members of each house before going to the voters: 100 of 150 representatives and 21 of 31 senators.

The House already met that threshold on May 11, 2023, when it adopted HJR 102 by 101 votes to 42. In that vote Gina Hinojosa voted no and Vikki Goodwin was recorded as absent. The Senate received the resolution on May 12, 2023 and did not advance it further; the status of HJR 102 remains relevant to current debate and reporting on [regulation](/regulation).

On November 4, per the AP tally reproduced by Fox 4, Republicans retain the Senate with 19 seats to 12 Democrats, while Democrats lead the House with 76 seats to 61 Republicans and 13 races still undecided.

The 90th Legislature convenes on 12 January 2027.

Lieutenant governor powers and Senate arithmetic

The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate and, by the chamber’s own rules, appoints committee members and assigns bills to committees. Those powers strongly condition whether a constitutional gambling amendment ever reaches a floor vote.

The current Senate margin means that even with Goodwin referring a resolution to a friendly committee, at least nine Republican senators would be required to reach the 21 votes needed. The Senate did not even consider the 2023 amendment when the House passed it by one vote above the minimum. If the Republican majority rewrites Senate rules in January and curtails the lieutenant governor’s referral power, that procedural pathway could disappear.

What the principals said

Goodwin said in September 2025 that Texans who already bet or travel to casinos in other states should be allowed to vote on the issue: "why don't we allow them to vote to have a say?" She also said she sought "something broader" than destination-resort triggers for specific cities and wanted wider deliberation on location and governance.

Hinojosa’s campaign emphasised education and household costs, The Texas Newsroom reported.

A key point is that the governor does not sign or veto a constitutional amendment: a joint resolution goes straight to the voters once the legislature approves it. Therefore Hinojosa’s 2023 position matters politically but cannot block an amendment already approved by the legislature; the governor’s control would affect only the subsequent enabling law.

Related state votes and the national pulse

The same election night delivered mixed signals about gambling across the US. In Ohio, Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy in a CBS News projection; iGaming Business reported Acton supports legalising online casinos with player-safety and advertising safeguards, though Ohio’s legislature remains under Republican control. In Georgia, NBC News projected Keisha Lance Bottoms beat Rick Jackson; Bottoms has proposed putting a public vote on casinos and said in April that could bring "about $300 million" to the state.

At the same time, Nebraska rejected an expansion of online gambling and three Indiana counties voted against expanding gaming, a reminder that state referenda are the final barrier.

Next steps and key dates

The practical turning point arrives in January: the Senate will write its internal rules for the 90th Legislature on 12 January 2027, and senators will decide whether to allow floor votes on amendments the House already approved in 2023. Meanwhile the lieutenant governor’s office will pass to Goodwin, but the Republican Senate majority remains the numerical obstacle that will determine whether a constitutional amendment on sports betting or casinos reaches voters.

For operators and regulators watching the market, the Senate’s prior discussion of prediction markets — raised in earlier hearings — suggests an operational argument: regulate activity Texans already access via federally registered exchanges, a point of interest for both the [sports](/sports) and [b2b](/b2b) sectors.