Dan Patrick defeats Mike Collier to remain Lt. Governor

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick won a third term in the second-highest executive office in Texas government, defeating Democrat Mike Collier for a second time, per results from the Secretary of State.

Why it matters: Over the last eight years, Patrick has taken the power concentrated in the state’s No. 2 job to another level and built a national profile as a regular guest on Fox News.

• The Texas Tribune dubbed Patrick "Trump's man in Texas," and he's used his relationship with Trump to curry political favors and punish opponents.
• Patrick's victory is a sign that Trumpism is still alive and well in Texas.

The big picture: Patrick is known for championing conservative policies. He has been a vocal advocate of banning abortion, and he's supported efforts to prevent transgender students from participating in sports.

• Earlier this year, he suggested that professors should be fired from Texas universities for teaching critical race theory. He also called urban school districts, including Dallas ISD, "dropout factories."
• Following the shooting in Uvalde, Patrick wanted the state to spend $50 million to equip school police officers with bulletproof shields.

The intrigue: Several longtime Republicans endorsed Collier over Patrick, including outgoing Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, Amarillo state Sen. Kel Seliger and Rep. Bennett Ratliff of Plano.

• Patrick also faced nationwide criticism in 2020 for suggesting on Fox News that he’d rather die from the coronavirus than see instability in the state’s economy.

Flashback: The race was a rematch of 2018, when Patrick beat Collier 51% to 47%.

What's next: Patrick will likely continue to champion issues popular among conservative voters, including a "don't say gay" law similar to Florida's, election security, ending tenure at Texas universities and battling the federal government over U.S.-Mexico border protections.