Houston Radio: Dan Patrick Wins GOP Slot

Dan Patrick

Houston radio owner and  talk show host Dan Patrick soundly defeated the Texas Republican lieutenant governor in another primary runoff election, demonstrating the continuing power of the tea party.

WSJ reports Dan Patrick, a radio personality turned state senator who has won broad support among conservatives, outpolled Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst according to the Associated Press, which projected Mr. Patrick as the victor after early results showed him holding a commanding 63% to 36% lead.

The 64 years old Patrick now becomes the favorite to win the state’s general election in November and occupy a powerful office that presides over the state senate and helps set Texas’ legislative agenda.

A hard-liner on illegal immigration, he has vowed to run the senate in a more partisan fashion, appointing fewer Democrats to serve as committee chairmen.

Allen Blakemore, a spokesman for the Patrick campaign, said we are “very comfortable and confident in the results.” He said he hadn’t yet heard from the Dewhurst campaign so he declined to say more.