Patrick Beats Collier To Secure 2nd Term As Texas Lt. Governor

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, defeated his Democratic challgner Mike Collier on Election Day on Tuesday, securing a second term in office.

Collier ran a spirited race, with Collier incessantly attacking Patrick for failing to honor his pledge to reduce soaring property taxes. Patrick reacted to the accusations by pointing to some reforms that were passed during his first term in 2015 that worked to increase homestead exemptions.

But he declined to debate Collier. Instead, he agreed to debate perennial celebrity Geraldo Rivera over immigration reform but the showoff never materialized.

Approximating some semblance of a debate-style rebuttal without actually engaging in formal debate, Patrick defended himself against Collier's accusations of inaction by vowing he would continue pursuing property-tax-lowering reforms if he were re-elected, as he was on Tuesday. Patrick secured 51 percent (4,126,273 votes) to Collier's 46 percent share (3,694,785 ballots). Libertarian candidate Kerry McKennon managed to secure 2 percent of ballots, or 75,371 votes.

Aside from his calls for property tax relief, Patrick distinguished himself in his first term with something of a personal crusade against the idea of allowing transgender people to use the public bathrooms labeled with the gender with which they identify. He want on a full-court press lobbying for pet political project, positing such bathroom use as something of a clear and present danger to public safety — particularly to that of women and children who might be using the bathroom at the same time a transgender person might enter a public bathroom.

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Making an appearance at conservative-friendly Fox to make his case on a national forum, Patrick suggested that allowing transgender people use bathrooms or locker rooms corresponding with their identities would lead to men sneaking into those facilities to sexually assault or harass women. Then-Fox host Megyn Kelly asked: "Allow men in the ladies' rooms, or allow trans women in ladies' rooms?" Flustered, Patrick reacted with palpable frustration: "You're missing this! Women deserve privacy in the bathroom."

In the end, Patrick's proposed bathroom ban went nowhere with even some fellow conservatives averse to implementing such bans. Threatened boycotts by sports teams, celebrities and business organizations should the ban take effect also sealed the proposal's fate. In some camps, Patrick was ridiculed for the breathless urgency of his transgender warnings.

Yet on Tuesday, a slim majority of voters voiced their approval of his performance thus far. And while it's unlikely Patrick will resurrect the transgender bathroom use issue, a non-partisan swath of constituents wouldn't mind seeing him work on reducing their property taxes as he's long vowed to do.

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>>> Photo of Dan Patrick via State of Texas website