Patrick Handpicking Yet Another Senator
with Bid to Scare Off Competition for Paul
Capitol Inside
May 9, 2025
After handpicking eight current Texas Senate Republicans and two former GOP members during a 10-year span, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick expects to choose the winner of yet another race for the upper chamber after throwing his massive muscle on Thursday behind State Rep. Dennis Paul for the post.
Patrick served up an endorsement for Paul immediately after the House lawmaker entered the race for the Senate District 11 seat that GOP State Senator Mayes Middleton of Galveston is giving up in favor of a campaign for Texas attorney general in 2026. The Republican Senate president indicated that Paul checked all the boxes for the SD 11 fight.
“Dennis Paul has everything that’s needed to be a Texas Senator," Patrick said in an email. "He has a 12-year track record of being a stalwart conservative who keeps a laser focus on serving the people of his District. He will be a tremendous asset to the Texas Senate. With his experience in the Texas House, he will be effective on Day 1 as a Senator.”
Patrick's glowing recommendation at the starting gates is designed to scare off potential competitors before they have a chance to get bids for the coastal Senate seat off the ground. Patrick has a history of backing the candidates who he supports with sufficient sums of campaign cash to be victorious.
Republican State Rep. Briscoe Cain of Deer Park appeared to be interested in a quest for the upcoming opening in SD 11 before learning from Patrick that he'd already chosen Paul for the race. Several other House members including the chamber's chief budget writer - State Rep. Greg Bonnen of Friendswood - reside in SD 11 but have expressed no interest in campaigns for the seat up to now.
Cain served as the chairman of the Elections Committee in 2021 before a stint as the Agriculture & Livestock Committee chair two years ago. Paul has never led a standing committee as a member of the House for the past 10 years. Paul served as vice-chair for the Higher Education Committee in 2023 and the Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee in 2019. He currently has the number two spot on a Transportation Committee subcommittee.
Paul's most notable achievement as a lawmaker be as the founder and chairman of an Aerospace Caucus. NASA is located in Paul's House district.
More than a third of the Senate's 21 current Republican members can safely assume they would never have been elected to serve in the Capitol's east wing with the lieutenant governor's personal stamp of approval. State Senator Angela Paxton of McKinney may be the lone exception as the wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton. But Patrick's endorsement for her first primary test was arguably worth substantial more than her celebrity spouse in her first Senate bid.
GOP Senators Brent Hagenbuch of Denton, Pete Flores of Pleasanton, Adam Hinojosa of Corpus Christi, Phil King of Weatherford, Tan Parker of Flower Mound, Kevin Sparks of Midland and Middleton all rode Patrick's personal certification to the positions they have now. The Senate Republicans who Patrick got elected vote exactly like he expects on every significant issue.
Patrick took the extreme step of pulling his support for a highly-effective Republican solon who'd been an ally when he decided in 2022 that he'd rather have Middleton in the
Senate in SD 11 instead.
The lieutenant governor's fingerprints also appeared to be on then-Senate Republican Drew Springer's decision to step down without a bid for a new term in 2024. Springer's surprise exit paved the way for Patrick to get Hagenbuch elected in his place.
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