Career Timeline of Dan Patrick (politician): Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Dan Patrick (politician), from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Dan Patrick (born Dan Goeb Patrick) is an American radio talk show host, television broadcaster, and politician. He currently serves as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Texas, a position he has held since 2015, under Governor Greg Abbott. Prior to his political career, Patrick gained prominence in media. As Lieutenant Governor, he has been a key figure in Texas politics, advocating for conservative policies and playing a significant role in the state's legislative agenda.
1968: First Radio Job
In 1968, Dan Patrick started his first radio job at the age of 18.
1977: Became Television Broadcaster at WNEP-TV
After college, in 1977, Dan Patrick became a television broadcaster at WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
November 1983: Opened Dan and Nick's Sportsmarket
In November 1983, Dan Patrick and several investors opened Dan and Nick's Sportsmarket, one of the first sports bars in the U.S.
1983: Became Second Most Popular TV Personality
By 1983, Dan Patrick became the second most popular TV personality in Houston, but also one of the most disliked.
1984: KHOU-TV Bought By Belo Corporation
In 1984, Belo Corporation bought KHOU-TV, and Dan Patrick left his job there after failing to reach a long-term contract agreement.
1984: Charles Anthony Goeb Retired
In 1984, Charles Anthony Goeb, Dan Patrick's father, retired from The Baltimore Sun after thirty-one years.
1987: Bought Time Slot at AM 700 KSEV
In the summer of 1987, Dan Patrick began his reinvention as a conservative talk radio host by buying a four-hour timeslot at AM 700 KSEV (then called KTBT).
1988: Took Over KSEV Radio Station
In 1988, Dan Patrick took over the KSEV radio station and switched to political commentary shortly afterward.
1989: Signed Rush Limbaugh for KSEV
In 1989, Dan Patrick, as owner of KSEV, signed Rush Limbaugh for airing on KSEV via radio syndication.
2001: Anchored The Patrick Report
In 2001, Dan Patrick anchored The Patrick Report, a half-hour news program, on Houston television station KTBU and was also general manager of KTBU.
2004: Considered Running for US House
In 2004, Dan Patrick first considered running for the United States House of Representatives.
February 2006: Owned One Radio Station
By February 2006, Dan Patrick already owned one radio station.
2006: Elected to Texas State Senate
In 2006, Dan Patrick was first elected to Texas State Senate's seventh district.
January 9, 2007: Term Began in Texas State Senate
On January 9, 2007, Dan Patrick's term began in the Texas State Senate with the convening of the Eightieth Texas Legislature.
2007: Elected to Texas Senate
In 2007, Dan Patrick became a Republican member of the Texas Senate for the 7th District.
2010: Re-elected to Texas Senate
In 2010, Dan Patrick was reelected to the Texas Senate with 86.4% of the vote and he endorsed Rick Perry for re-election. He then created a Tea Party Caucus in the Texas state legislature.
February 2011: Patrick Advocates for Cutting Non-Teaching Positions
In February 2011, then-vice chairman of the Texas Senate's Committee on Education, Dan Patrick, advocated for cutting an unspecified number of non-teaching positions from the state's public school districts.
May 2011: Texas Mandatory Ultrasound Bill Signed into Law
In May 2011, Governor Perry signed into law Texas' "Mandatory Ultrasound Bill", authored by Dan Patrick. The bill requires women seeking an abortion to undergo a sonogram of the fetus at least 24 hours before the procedure.
January 10, 2012: Fifth Circuit Court Rules in Favor of Ultrasound Bill
On January 10, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in Texas' favor in the case of Zurawski v. State of Texas, allowing Patrick's Mandatory Ultrasound Bill to take effect after an initial injunction.
November 2012: Patrick Requests Opinion on Domestic Partner Benefits
In November 2012, Dan Patrick asked then-Texas attorney general Greg Abbott's office to issue an opinion on the constitutionality of government entities providing domestic partner insurance benefits.
2012: Endorsed David Dewhurst's Failed Senate Bid
In 2012, Dan Patrick enthusiastically endorsed David Dewhurst in his failed bid for the U.S. Senate.
June 26, 2013: Announced Challenge to David Dewhurst
On June 26, 2013, Dan Patrick announced he would challenge incumbent David Dewhurst in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor in 2014.
May 27, 2014: Defeated David Dewhurst in Primary Runoff
On May 27, 2014, Dan Patrick defeated David Dewhurst in the primary runoff for lieutenant governor.
November 4, 2014: Won General Election for Lieutenant Governor
On November 4, 2014, Dan Patrick won the general election against Leticia Van de Putte to become the lieutenant governor-elect of Texas.
2014: Challenged David Dewhurst in the Republican primary
In 2014, Dan Patrick challenged incumbent David Dewhurst in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor.
2014: Patrick Opposes Same-Sex Marriage
In 2014, after a federal court ruled that Texas' ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, Dan Patrick expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage.
2014: Patrick on Illegal Immigration
In 2014, questions arose regarding Dan Patrick's commitment to halt illegal immigration during the lieutenant governor's race, due to the immigration status of one of his employees, Miguel "Mike" Andrade.
January 20, 2015: Sworn in as Lieutenant Governor
On January 20, 2015, Dan Patrick was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of Texas. Soon after, the Texas Senate voted to drop the threshold needed to consider a bill from two-thirds to three-fifths.
March 2015: Border Security Budget
In March 2015, Dan Patrick's budget in the Texas Senate called for spending $815 million on border security.
2015: Became Lieutenant Governor of Texas
In 2015, Dan Patrick became the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Texas, serving under Governor Greg Abbott.
2015: End of Texas Senate Term
In 2015, Dan Patrick's term as a Republican member of the Texas Senate for the 7th District ended.
2015: Son Swears Patrick into Office
In 2015, Ryan Patrick, Dan Patrick's son, served as a district judge from Harris County, Texas, and swore his father into office as the lieutenant governor.
May 2016: Patrick Criticizes Obama Administration on Transgender Directive
In May 2016, Dan Patrick criticized the Obama administration's directive regarding transgender students' bathroom access, vowing not to yield to 'blackmail'.
2016: Endorsement of Donald Trump
In 2016, Dan Patrick endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz for the Republican presidential primaries and served as his Texas campaign chairman. After Donald Trump became the Republican nominee, Patrick endorsed him and became the Texas state chairman for his campaign.
January 5, 2017: Patrick Pushes for Bathroom Bill
On January 5, 2017, Dan Patrick pushed for a bathroom bill in Texas, encouraging state Senator Lois Kolkhorst to introduce legislation similar to North Carolina's law.
January 9, 2017: Announced Re-election Bid for 2018
On January 9, 2017, Dan Patrick announced he would run for re-election in 2018.
May 21, 2017: Governor Abbott Signed Sermon Subpoena Bill
On May 21, 2017, Governor Abbott signed into law the bill prohibiting state or local governments from issuing subpoenas on pastors' sermons, a priority for Dan Patrick.
July 2017: Son Chosen as U.S. Attorney
In July 2017, Ryan Patrick was chosen to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas by U.S. President Donald Trump, and the United States Senate subsequently confirmed him.
March 6, 2018: Won Republican Primary
On March 6, 2018, Dan Patrick easily won the Republican primary, defeating Scott Milder.
June 2018: Patrick on Illegal Immigrants
In June 2018, Dan Patrick estimated during an interview on Fox Business Network that 30 million illegal immigrants lived in the U.S.
2018: Active in Republican Primary Candidates
In 2018, Dan Patrick actively endorsed and assisted Republican primary candidates in the Texas Senate, and later donated nearly $175,000 to Texas Senate candidate Pete Flores.
2018: Re-elected Lieutenant Governor
In 2018, Dan Patrick was re-elected as Lieutenant Governor, defeating Democratic nominee Mike Collier.
October 17, 2019: Remarks at Trump Rally
On October 17, 2019, at a political rally for President Trump, Dan Patrick told a crowd of 20,000 that liberals "are not our opponents, they are our enemy."
2019: Patrick on Gun Sales and Rights
In 2019, Dan Patrick initially called for required background checks for gun sales between strangers, but later backed away from this position and supported legislation to expand gun rights, including constitutional carry.
2019: Patrick Opposes Cannabis Decriminalization
In 2019, Dan Patrick opposed a bill to decriminalize simple possession of cannabis in Texas, announcing it was dead on arrival in the Senate.
2019: Patrick Pushes for Teacher Pay Raise
In 2019, Dan Patrick pushed for an increase of $5,000 to Texas teachers' paychecks.
April 7, 2020: Task Force to Re-Open Texas's Economy
On April 7, 2020, Dan Patrick announced the creation of a task force to make recommendations on how to re-open Texas's economy.
2020: Support of Trump's False Claims
After Joe Biden won the 2020 election and Trump made false claims of fraud, Dan Patrick backed Trump as he refused to concede. Patrick said he would pay up to $1 million for reports of voter fraud across the country.
October 2021: Payment for Voter Fraud Report
In October 2021, Dan Patrick paid the first reward of $25,000 to a Pennsylvania poll worker who reported a man that voted twice.
2021: Patrick on Medical Cannabis Changes
In 2021, Dan Patrick expressed openness to some medical cannabis changes while downplaying more ambitious efforts.
2021: Prioritized Legislation and Profile
In 2021, Dan Patrick made legislation requiring the U.S. national anthem at state-funded events a priority, along with legislation to protect "election integrity" in Texas. Later, he was described as a driving force behind a hard right turn in Texas.
2021: Patrick Presides Over Voting Rights Restrictions
In 2021, Dan Patrick presided over the passage of legislation in the Texas Senate that restricted voting rights.
2021: Patrick Supports Limiting Civil Rights Writings in Schools
In 2021, Dan Patrick supported legislation aimed at preventing public schools from requiring students to read writings by civil rights figures such as Susan B. Anthony, Cesar Chavez, and Martin Luther King Jr. in social studies classes.
2022: Endorsed Candidates in Republican Primaries
During his tenure as lieutenant governor, in 2022 Dan Patrick became influential in Texas Republican politics and actively endorsed candidates in the Republican primaries for the Texas Senate.
2022: Patrick Pledges to End Tenure
In 2022, Dan Patrick pledged to end tenure for new hires at Texas public universities and revoke tenure for faculty teaching critical race theory.
2022: Re-elected Lieutenant Governor Again
In 2022, Dan Patrick was re-elected as Lieutenant Governor for another term, defeating Democratic nominee Mike Collier.
2022: Defeated Mike Collier in General Election
In the 2022 general election, Dan Patrick again defeated Democratic challenger Mike Collier with about 53.8% of the vote.
January 25, 2023: Announced Reelection Bid in 2026
On January 25, 2023, Dan Patrick told The Texan's reporter McKenzie DiLullo that he would be running for reelection in 2026.
2023: Patrick Supports DEI Ban
In 2023, Dan Patrick supported legislation banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices at public universities.
June 21, 2024: Patrick Seeks Ten Commandments Bill
On June 21, 2024, Dan Patrick stated that he would seek to pass a bill similar to Louisiana's requiring the Ten Commandments in schools in the next legislative session.
April 2025: Patrick Champions School Voucher Program
In April 2025, Dan Patrick championed the passage of Senate Bill 2, a school voucher program that established education savings accounts using public funds for private school tuition.
May 1, 2025: Patrick Appointed to Religious Liberty Commission
On May 1, 2025, Donald Trump appointed Dan Patrick to chair the newly established Religious Liberty Commission.
May 2025: Ten Commandments Bill Passed
In May 2025, a Ten Commandments bill passed.
2025: Support of Texas Senate Bill 20
In 2025, Dan Patrick applauded the unanimous passage of Texas Senate Bill 20 in the Texas Senate and called it "a priority" to protect children in Texas, and Texas citizens and thanked Pete Flores for his work on "this important issue." He later described the bill as part of the "bold, conservative agenda" that the Texas legislature passed during the 2025 legislative session.
2026: Run for reelection
Dan Patrick announced he would be running for reelection in 2026.
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