Democratic Texas Rep. Vikki Goodwin enters race for Lt. Governor, says "It's time for change"
State Representative Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, is taking on Lt. Governor Dan Patrick next year as he seeks a fourth term in office.
In an interview for Eye On Politics, Goodwin explained why she's running. "I think the time is right. We need a change. I disagree with Dan Patrick on so many of the policies that he has, but also on the corruption that we see of him taking millions of dollars before he was the head judge in an impeachment trial, the way that he rules the 365bet官方网站 with an iron fist, really doesn't encourage any debate over there."
Goodwin, who was first elected in 2018, will have to give up her legislative seat in southwest Austin to run for Lt. Governor. "I have to give up my seat in order to run, but it's very frustrating as a Democrat in the minority party when we get crumbs, during legislative sessions."
Goodwin told CBS News Texas that her main platforms include public education. She opposed SB 2, the school choice law that will give students tax dollars to attend private schools. "This session we saw $1 billion going into private schools. And I anticipate with the current leadership, that will continue to grow over the years. I'm not in favor of sending our public tax dollars to unaccountable private schools. That's number one."
Other issues she says are her top priorities include housing affordability, water and health care. "Housing affordability. I would say that all our leaders have talked about that as a big issue, but what we saw come out of session, in my opinion, doesn't do enough to address that issue. Water and energy, and infrastructure is a big deal. Again, water was prioritized this session. We talked about a lot of things: New water, leaky pipes, but not really a whole lot about conservation. I think there's a lot that we need to do around health care. Whether it's women having the ability to make their own personal private health care decisions or whether it is in rural areas, people just having access to good primary care."
Patrick's campaign announced in January that it has $33.5 million cash on hand. President Trump has also endorsed the Lt. Governor for reelection next year.
When asked how she can beat Patrick, Representative Goodwin said, "I think it's all about relationships, building relationships with people around things they care about. I've spent the last year traveling the state and looking at the issues all around the state. I'm not interested in the divisive issues. Let's put those aside and let's solve the problems that really make a difference in your life."
Watch the full interview with Rep. Goodwin below:
This week's full episode can be found below:
