Three Democratic candidates are running for Texas lieutenant governor—the second-in-command to the governor—in the upcoming March 3 primary election.
Vikki Goodwin, Courtney Head and Marcos Vélez are seeking the Democratic nomination for Texas lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor leads the Texas Senate and can exercise the powers of the governor if the governor dies, resigns, is removed from office or is absent from the state, according to the Texas State Historical Association.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Democratic primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters May 26.
The winning Democratic candidate will face the winner of the Republican nomination in November, and the winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.
Information about the Republican candidates for Texas lieutenant governor is available here.
Early voting begins Feb. 17 for March primary races across Texas, including 18 statewide races and various local races. Registered voters may cast ballots in either Texas’ Republican or Democratic primary, but not both. Third-party candidates will appear on the ballot in November.
Community Impact gave all candidates running for contested statewide offices more than three weeks to complete the primary election questionnaire and communicated with their campaigns periodically. Community Impact‘s goal with election Q&As is to provide a side-by-side, equitable resource for Texas voters to review candidates’ perspectives as they prepare to head to the polls.
To ensure that candidates are the ones defining their positions in Community Impact‘s voter guide, if candidates did not complete the questionnaire after multiple attempts to contact them, the website reads “candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.” Candidates were informed of this policy.
Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been minimally edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
My top priorities are: 1) Public education: increase funding, end private school vouchers; 2) Health care: ensure people can access the care they need affordably; 3) Housing: work towards greater affordability, better opportunities for home ownership; and 4) Water: ensure we can meet our water needs without increasing cost.
What will your priorities be regarding property taxes and housing affordability?
I will prioritize the state being a better financial partner, so local communities don’t have to rely as heavily on property taxes. The state should provide 50% of school funding. Housing affordability is a function of supply not meeting demand. I will prioritize incentivizing building of starter/“missing middle” homes.
What will your priorities be for the future of Texas education?
We need to simplify the funding formula, increase the basic allotment, and have it set to automatically keep pace with inflation. Teachers should have smaller class sizes, more planning time, and more input on student achievement measurements. We should remove high-stakes testing and reform our accountability system.
What projects are most important for the legislature to focus on for the future of Texas?
Infrastructure projects are critical for the legislature to focus on. As the state grows, we cannot neglect our roads, bridges, water and energy. We need to maintain aging infrastructure and build new. Water, in particular, must be addressed as we continue to see cities struggling to keep up with demand.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next 5 years?
Affordability and a stagnant economy, or recession, may be the greatest challenge we face in the coming years. Policies around the minimum wage, insurance costs, AI, housing, and more can help navigate tough economic times. Maintaining a strong education system, building infrastructure and wise spending will be critical.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
My top priorities: expanding affordable healthcare and guaranteeing abortion care, codifying civil and voting rights in the Texas Constitution, establishing citizen ballot initiatives and independent redistricting, and protecting public education by repealing private school vouchers, increasing state funding, raising teacher pay, and strengthening special-education programs.
What will your priorities be regarding property taxes and housing affordability?
My priorities are reducing property taxes by increasing state funding for public education, closing commercial loopholes, limiting exemptions to primary residences, and raising the homestead exemption. For housing affordability, I will legalize missing-middle housing, ban corporate bulk buyers, tax vacant speculative homes, and protect long-term residents from displacement.
What will your priorities be for the future of Texas education?
Texas must fully and equitably fund public education, increase teacher pay, and strengthen special education programs. Investing in our schools and educators leads to smaller class sizes, higher graduation rates, stronger workforce readiness, reduced crime, and healthier communities, delivering long-term economic and social benefits for every Texas family.
What projects are most important for the legislature to focus on for the future of Texas?
The Legislature must expand healthcare, including guaranteeing abortion care; protect and fully fund public education; grow the Texas economy through renewable energy, high-speed rail and intrastate transit, and regulated cannabis; and pass strong protections to shield Texans from billionaire and corporate interests that undermine affordability, democracy, and local communities.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next 5 years?
Texas’ greatest challenge is keeping our infrastructure, schools, healthcare, and housing systems from collapsing under rapid growth and extreme weather. Without major investments in water, the electric grid, public education, transit, and healthcare access, affordability and economic stability will continue to deteriorate for working families.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
My priorities are lowering the cost of living, raising wages, and fully funding public education and workforce development. I bring a proven record of negotiating better pay, benefits, and safety standards, and I will use that experience to deliver results for working Texans statewide.
What will your priorities be regarding property taxes and housing affordability?
I will shift property tax relief toward homeowners and renters by expanding renter tax credits and circuit breaker programs. I support policies that lower housing costs, encourage construction near jobs and transit, and prevent speculative practices that drive prices beyond what working families can afford.
What will your priorities be for the future of Texas education?
Texas must fully fund public schools, pay teachers competitively, expand career and technical education, and protect local control. Our education system should prepare students for good jobs or higher education while strengthening neighborhood public schools and rejecting voucher schemes that drain public resources.
What projects are most important for the legislature to focus on for the future of Texas?
When I’m Lieutenant Governor, the legislature will focus on raising wages, grid reliability, workforce pipelines, and water security. That means raising the minimum wage, investing in transmission and storage, expanding apprenticeship and training programs, modernizing water infrastructure, and planning for long-term population growth and climate resilience.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next 5 years?
The greatest challenge Texas faces is a rising cost of living that continues to outpace wages. Addressing affordability requires raising pay, strengthening worker protections, and ensuring economic growth benefits people who work for a living, not just those at the top.