Lieutenant governor candidate Dan Patrick believes he鈥檚 the conservative who can break up the Texas Senate鈥檚 clubby, Republican establishment.
On Thursday, , who hopes to win the GOP nomination and a fourth term. Patrick, a state senator from Houston, canceled his interview with 四虎影院. But, throughout the campaign, he鈥檚 had a lot to say.
For the past three decades, Houstonians have known Patrick first as a flamboyant TV sportscaster, then as a radio station owner and conservative talk show host.
It鈥檚 training that鈥檚 given the 64-year old state senator from Baltimore an upper hand in debates with Dewhurst, who once stuttered and struggles during rapid exchanges.
Patrick has repeatedly flummoxed Dewhurst with his quick, relentless jabs.
Glib and impassioned
During a Dallas debate, Patrick blamed Dewhurst for allowing 鈥渁narchy鈥� to reign in the senate during Democrat Wendy Davis鈥檚 abortion filibuster. In trying to explain what happened, Dewhurst ended up agreeing with the anarchy statement then said he should have had more state troopers in the chamber to keep order.
鈥淗e鈥檚 Dewhurst鈥檚 second worst nightmare after his first worst nightmare, running against Ted Cruz. Patrick is glib and impassioned and very smart,鈥� said Joe Holley, a columnist and political reporter with the Houston Chronicle.
Holley says Houstonians of a certain age remember Dan Patrick as a shock-jock sports broadcaster and talk-show host who would do anything for ratings.
鈥淲hether it was having attractive young women paint his body Houston Oiler blue. He went through a vasectomy on the air," Holley said. "And Patrick鈥檚 colleagues are deeply concerned it鈥檚 the shock jock who will be running the Texas Senate next year."
Questions of trust
Holley says the Chronicle interviewed numerous Republican legislators who want "ABP" -- anybody but Patrick -- as lieutenant governor. They raised concerns about trusting him.
That鈥檚 one reason the Chronicle, Patrick鈥檚 hometown newspaper, endorsed Dewhurst.
Then there are the attack ads questioning Patrick for changing his birth name of Dannie Goeb to his broadcast name, Dan Patrick. And accusations about unpaid debts from his 1980s bankruptcy.
Patrick has said all of that happened long ago and shouldn鈥檛 be at issue in the campaign.
鈥淚f we disqualify every person who went broke for turning his life around, that鈥檚 not the country we have," Patrick said following a recent debate. "I went broke and I changed my name. They don鈥檛 have anything to do with anything else."
None of the drama has slowed down the pro-life, Tea Party evangelical.
He's said many times: 鈥淚鈥檓 an unapologetic Christian, I鈥檓 a bold conservative, I鈥檓 a Reagan Republican."
His accomplishments in the Texas Senate
The accomplishments he rattles off when describing his seven years in the Texas Senate include placing the phrase 鈥渦nder God鈥� into the Texas pledge; cutting business taxes; passing school reforms that cut the number of standardized tests; and challenging the controversial education curriculum known as CSCOPE.
Patrick鈥檚 campaign says he鈥檚 most proud of sponsoring a bill that requires physicians to provide a sonogram before performing an abortion.
He says securing the border with more than periodic surges of spending and law enforcement will be his first priority if elected.
鈥淎s lieutenant governor it won鈥檛 be a surge," he says. It will be a 365-day, 24/7 operation by Texas law enforcement.鈥�
A spokesman for mental health
On Wednesday, as he voted early, Patrick talked to reporters about his mental health records that were recently released by a primary opponent who now supports Dewhurst. They document Patrick鈥檚 depression, chemical imbalance and suicide attempt nearly 30 years ago.
Patrick said he recovered and is ready to help others. But he suggested his opponent may not recover from the backlash following the disclosure.
鈥淚t鈥檚 backfired, and I鈥檓 not a victim, I鈥檓 not a martyr," Patrick said. "But I will be a spokesman. And I think there are a lot of people out there -- millions -- who go through this at some point in their lives and we need to be real people in the public."
After besting Dewhurst by 13 points in the March primary, Patrick said he feels confident of a win Tuesday night.
He added that he鈥檒l practice what he preaches and forgive Dewhurst for the knockdown, nasty campaigning.
