Dan Patrick (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dan Patrick
Patrick in 2017
42nd Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Incumbent
Assumed office January 20, 2015
Governor	Greg Abbott
Preceded by	David Dewhurst
Member of the Texas Senate from the 7th district
In office January 9, 2007 – January 13, 2015
Preceded by	Jon Lindsay
Succeeded by	Paul Bettencourt
Personal details
Born	Dannie Scott Goeb (1950-04-04) April 4, 1950 (age 75) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Jan Rankin ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	2, including Ryan
Education	University of Maryland, Baltimore County (BA)

Dan Patrick (born Dannie Scott Goeb on April 4, 1950) is an American politician. He has been the Lieutenant Governor of Texas since 2015, working with Governor Greg Abbott. Before becoming a politician, he was a radio and television host.

Patrick grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He started his career in broadcasting. Later, he owned some sports bars. After facing financial difficulties, he returned to radio as a conservative talk show host. From 2007 to 2015, Patrick was a Republican member of the Texas Senate. He represented the 7th District, which included parts of Houston and nearby areas.

In 2014, Patrick won the election for lieutenant governor. He defeated the person who held the job before him, David Dewhurst. Patrick was re-elected in 2018 and again in 2022.

Early Life and Education

Dan Patrick was born Dannie Scott Goeb in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 4, 1950. He grew up in a working-class neighborhood. His parents were Vilma Jean Marshall and Charles Anthony Goeb. His father worked for The Baltimore Sun newspaper.

Patrick was the first in his family to go to college. He earned a degree in English from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. After college, he changed his name to Dan Goeb Patrick. He did this to honor his wife's family.

Broadcasting and Business Career

Starting in Radio and TV

Patrick began his first radio job in 1968 when he was 18. After college, in 1977, he became a television broadcaster in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He later worked in Washington, D.C., and then became the main sportscaster for KHOU-TV in Houston.

As a broadcaster, Patrick became well-known for his lively style. He was one of the most popular TV personalities in Houston by 1983. He left KHOU in the mid-1980s.

Sports Bar Business

In 1983, Patrick and some partners opened one of the first sports bars in the U.S. It was called Dan and Nick's Sportsmarket. The bar did well for a while, and they eventually owned five sports bars in Houston.

However, when the oil economy in Houston declined in the mid-1980s, Patrick's sports bar chain struggled. In 1986, the bars failed, and Patrick filed for personal bankruptcy. He has often spoken about this experience and how it shaped his conservative views.

Becoming a Conservative Talk Radio Host

After his business struggles, Patrick started a new career as a conservative talk radio host in the 1990s. He began by buying airtime on a radio station in Houston in 1987. He soon took over the station and switched to talking about politics. His show, Dan Patrick & Friends, was broadcast in Houston and Dallas.

Patrick became very successful and influential through his radio show. He became well-known to many people. As a talk radio host, Patrick supported fiscal conservatism (which means careful spending of government money) and evangelical Christian values. He also spoke out against illegal immigration. His radio career was very important to his rise in politics. He even helped bring famous talk show host Rush Limbaugh to his station in 1989, which boosted his station's ratings.

Patrick also hosted a news program called The Patrick Report on a Houston TV station in 2001. By 2013, he was the main owner of two radio stations. He continued broadcasting even after he was elected as a State Senator and later as lieutenant governor.

Other Activities

In 2008, Patrick helped produce The Heart of Texas, a movie based on a true story. He also called for a boycott of the Houston Chronicle newspaper in 2004, saying it was biased. He even owned a blog called Chronically Biased that criticized the newspaper.

Early Political Career

Patrick first thought about running for the United States House of Representatives in 2004.

Serving in the Texas Senate

Patrick at a 2013 press conference on education

Patrick was first elected to the Texas State Senate in 2006. He won with a large number of votes. His term began on January 9, 2007.

In 2010, Patrick was re-elected. He also supported Rick Perry for governor that year. After winning re-election, Patrick helped create a Tea Party Caucus in the Texas Legislature. This group had 48 members.

During his time in the Senate, Patrick worked for a very conservative plan. He was seen as one of the most powerful Republican politicians in Texas.

Senate Committees

Patrick served on several important committees in the Texas Senate:

• Committee on Education (Chair)
• Committee on Criminal Justice
• Committee on Finance
• Committee on Health & Human Services
• Committee on Intergovernmental Relations

Lieutenant Governor of Texas

2014 Election Campaign

On June 26, 2013, Patrick announced he would run for lieutenant governor. He challenged the person already in office, David Dewhurst. Patrick said he decided to run after Dewhurst could not stop a filibuster (a long speech to delay a vote) by Senator Wendy Davis.

Patrick won the Republican primary election with the most votes. In the runoff election on May 27, 2014, Patrick won again. He defeated Dewhurst with 65.1% of the votes. This victory was important for the Tea Party movement.

On November 4, 2014, Patrick won the main election. He defeated Democrat Leticia Van de Putte. He became the lieutenant governor-elect of Texas. Republicans won all statewide offices that year.

2018 Election Campaign

On January 9, 2017, Patrick announced he would run for re-election in 2018. He wanted to stop rumors that he would run for governor or U.S. Senator. Patrick easily won the Republican primary election on March 6, 2018.

Patrick also helped other Republican candidates win their primary races. He donated money to a candidate named Pete Flores. Flores won his election, which helped Patrick keep a strong Republican majority in the Senate.

On November 6, 2018, Patrick won re-election for his second term. He defeated Democratic challenger Mike Collier. Patrick won about 51% of the vote.

2022 Election Campaign

In the 2022 election, Patrick again defeated Democratic challenger Mike Collier. Patrick won with about 53.8% of the vote.

On January 25, 2023, Patrick said he plans to run for re-election again in 2026.

Time in Office

Patrick, third from left, attending an October 2017 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and FEMA officials, on Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery efforts.

Patrick was sworn in as lieutenant governor on January 20, 2015. Soon after, the Texas Senate changed a rule to make it easier to pass bills.

Important laws that Patrick helped pass include allowing campus carry (carrying guns on college campuses) and open carry (carrying guns openly). He also supported a bill allowing pastors to refuse to marry couples if it goes against their beliefs. He also supported stronger border security measures.

In 2017, Patrick made it a priority to pass a law that stops state or local governments from asking for pastors' sermons. Governor Abbott signed this bill into law. In 2021, Patrick pushed for a law requiring the U.S. national anthem to be played at state-funded events. He also supported laws to protect "election integrity" in Texas.

During his time as lieutenant governor, Patrick became very influential in Texas Republican politics. He played a key role in former President Donald Trump's endorsements in Texas elections.

..... The professor was put on leave but later returned after an investigation found no wrongdoing. Patrick defended his actions.

On May 1, 2025, former President Trump appointed Patrick to lead the new Religious Liberty Commission.

Political Views

Education

Patrick supports having more charter schools in Texas. These are public schools that are run differently from traditional public schools.

In 2011, Patrick suggested cutting non-teaching jobs in public schools. He believed there were too many "math department supervisors" or "curriculum experts."

Patrick has supported teaching creationism in public schools. This is the belief that the universe and life were created by a divine being. However, courts have ruled that this goes against the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In 2019, Patrick pushed to increase Texas teachers' paychecks by $5,000.

In 2021, Patrick supported a law to prevent public schools from requiring students to read writings by certain civil rights figures. This was for topics like women’s suffrage and the civil rights movement.

In 2022, Patrick said he wants to end tenure for new professors at Texas public universities. Tenure gives professors job security. He also said he wants to remove tenure for professors who teach critical race theory.

Gun Laws

Patrick generally supports gun rights.

In 2019, he first suggested requiring background checks for gun sales between strangers. However, he later changed his mind. He then supported laws to expand gun rights, including constitutional carry. This means people can carry guns without a permit.

Immigration Laws

Patrick is against illegal immigration. As a radio host, he often spoke strongly about this topic. He supported a law in Arizona that allows local police to ask about immigration status. He wants a similar law in Texas.

As Lieutenant Governor, Patrick wanted to keep National Guard troops at the Texas-Mexico border. He wanted them there for a longer time than planned. In 2015, he pushed for spending $815 million on border security. Governor Greg Abbott signed this into law.

Voting Rights

In 2020, Patrick said that efforts to expand vote-by-mail during the COVID-19 pandemic were a "scam by Democrats to steal the election."

In 2021, Patrick helped pass a law in the Texas Senate that restricted voting rights. This included stopping local groups from sending applications for mail-in ballots to voters.

In 2022, Patrick's campaign sent out mail with incorrect instructions for absentee ballots. The mail told voters to send requests to the wrong address. His campaign said it gave voters "added comfort" not to send mail to "Blue County election officials."

Domestic Partner Benefits

In 2012, Patrick asked the Texas attorney general to look into whether government groups could offer benefits to domestic partners. A Texas law from 2005 limits marriage to only heterosexual relationships. Patrick did not say his own views on same-sex marriage.

Confederate Monuments

Patrick strongly supports keeping Confederate monuments on public display. These monuments honor the Confederacy from the American Civil War. Some groups oppose these statues because they see them as supporting slavery.

Personal Life

Patrick's first marriage ended in divorce. His second wife is Janetlea "Jan" Patricia Rankin, a former teacher. They married in 1975 and live in Cypress. They have two children, Ryan and Shane. Ryan served as a judge and later became a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

Religious Views

Patrick and his family were not very religious when he was growing up. After moving to Houston, he and his wife attended a Catholic church. He later joined a Baptist church. Patrick says he became a Christian in March 1994. After this, his faith became a very important part of his life.

Patrick is an evangelical Christian. He is a member of several Christian groups and has been a guest pastor at his church, the Second Baptist Church Houston. He often speaks about his Christian faith. In his inauguration speech as lieutenant governor, he said, "I respect all faiths and religions, but I am a Christian first, a conservative second and a Republican third, and I praise Jesus for this moment and this day." In 2016, Patrick was baptized in the Jordan River during a trip to Israel.

Electoral History

2022

2018

2014

2010

2006

Works

• Patrick, Dan (2002). The Second Most Important Book You Will Ever Read: A Personal Challenge to Read the Bible, Publisher: Thomas Nelson, Inc., ISBN: 0-7852-6286-5
• The Heart of Texas (film). Heart Of Texas The Movie. Dan Patrick, Executive Producer. 2009 Plaid Shirt Pictures and Media Tech, Inc.