Vikki Goodwin, candidate for Texas Lieutenant Governor
Name: Vikki Ann Goodwin
Age: 59
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Texas state representative
Relevant Experience
I’ve spent the last eight years in the Texas House, delivering for my district. I’ve worked on the state budget, served on the Appropriations and Insurance Committees, and worked on legislation covering everything from public education to infrastructure. I’ve learned how to fight for working Texans when my party isn’t in charge.
That last part is important. You don’t get very far in the Legislature if you’re only willing to work with people who agree with you. I’ve passed bills by finding Republicans and Democrats who could agree that something needed to be fixed, and then doing the work to get it across the finish line.
Before I was elected, I raised a family, built a small business, and earned my Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School at UT. After four terms in the House, I’m running to return the Senate to a body of deliberation and democracy. I understand this institution and the enormous difference the lieutenant governor can make in setting the agenda and tone of the Senate. Our representatives should spend their time solving problems, instead of being goaded into an increasingly partisan race to grab headlines and do favors for donors.
Personal
I grew up in Dallas and moved to Austin in 1985 to attend the University of Texas. I earned my BBA there and later a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School. Austin became home. It’s where my husband and I raised our family, and where we built our residential real estate business.
I was involved in my community long before I ever ran for office through local boards, commissions and volunteer work. Over the years, I kept seeing the same problems come up for families, whether it was the cost of housing, education, transportation or people simply having a hard time getting the help they needed. Eventually, I decided I could do more about those problems from inside the Legislature.
I was first elected to the Texas House in 2018 when I beat a 4-term incumbent Republican.. I still live in the community I represent, and I’ve tried to bring the same approach to the Capitol that made me successful in business: listen to people, figure out what the problem is, and get to work on it.
If you are elected, what are your priorities for Texas?
My priorities are funding public education, fixing our broken healthcare system and making Texas more affordable.
We need to put more state dollars into our public schools. Teachers should be paid enough that we can keep good people in the classroom. The state needs to start carrying more of its share of the cost – instead of leaving local taxpayers to make up the difference through property tax increases.
Healthcare is another urgent priority for Texas families. . Too many Texans either don't have insurance or have insurance they can barely afford to use. I've put forward my Texas Cares Plan because I want us to actually tackle that problem in January. We can’t wait any longer to expand Medicaid and provide an affordable coverage option. a option for affordable coverage.
Affordability touches every issue right now: People are paying more for housing, property taxes, insurance, electricity, and water. At the same time, we're talking about bringing hundreds of new data centers into Texas that will require enormous amounts of power and water. We need to make sure we're planning for that growth and that Texas families aren't the ones stuck paying for it.
These problems, and more, are are the things I want the Senate spending its time on. They're the things I hear about from Texans, and they're problems the Legislature can actually do something about.
What are your plans to ensure transparency and make sure you are accessible to constituents?
I’ve always made myself available to the people I represent. I hold town halls, meet with people in the district, answer questions and listen when somebody thinks I’m getting something wrong. Some of the legislation I’m best known for came from responding to the struggles of my own constituents. I will continue doing that as Lieutenant Governor, but across Texas.
I believe that people deserve to know what is happening in their government. A lot of important decisions at the Capitol can be difficult to follow unless you work there every day. As Lieutenant Governor, I will be open about why I’m making decisions and where I stand on issues. If a bill isn’t going to move, people should be able to ask why. If we’re making a major decision about the budget, they should know what we’re spending their money on.
I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. They won’t. But I do think they should be able to reach my office, get an answer and have an opportunity to tell me what they think. That’s how I’ve approached being a state representative, and it’s how I will approach the most powerful office in the legislature.
What makes you the best candidate?
I think Texans have a pretty clear choice in this race. I’ve spent eight years in the Legislature working to make government work for the people. I’ve fought for investments in public schools, healthcare, water infrastructure, and making Texas more affordable. I’ve also been able to pass bills while serving in the minority because I’m willing to work with people I disagree with when we can find something we agree needs to be fixed.
My opponent has been in this seat for 12 years. In the past few years he seems to be focused on finding what else Texas can ban or restrict. THC products. Books in school libraries. Women making their own healthcare decisions. Lawmakers and working Texans alike are tired of watching the Senate avoid the real work that needs to be done to make Texas safer and more affordable. what the Senate spends its time on.
I will use the responsibility of the office to empower lawmakers to “vote their district” and work together to protect Texans. We need to regulate data centers, get 5 million people access to healthcare, and drive down the cost of consumer insurance. People are worried about their electric and water bills, whether they can afford their homes, and whether we have enough water and power for the growth that is coming.
I’ve served in the Legislature long enough to know we can spend a session fighting each other and the people of Texas or we can spend it working on the problems Texans deal with every day. I’m running because I think we ought to do the latter.
