The recent election may have concluded, but the journey of holding Texas officials accountable is just beginning. Efforts to uncover the truth are underway.
On Tuesday, Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin announced her transition team, which includes a diverse group of current and former elected officials and aides. This team is tasked with preparing her to take office in January after her victory over longtime Republican incumbent Dan Patrick.
Angela Hale, a seasoned political strategist in Texas, will serve as the executive director of Goodwin’s transition. Co-chairing the team are outgoing Democratic state representative Chris Turner from Grand Prairie, former Democratic state senator Leticia Van de Putte—who ran for lieutenant governor in 2014—and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, also a former Democratic state senator.
“I recognize the significant responsibilities that come with this role, and I am prepared to embrace them,” Goodwin, who has served four terms as a state representative, stated during her first press conference at the Capitol post-election. “The electorate has clearly conveyed their desire for change and effective leadership.”
The leadership team also features former Republican state senators Kel Seliger, a known critic of Patrick who left the Senate in 2023 after nearly 20 years, and Tommy Williams, who has experience in both chambers and has advised Governor Greg Abbott on fiscal issues. Notably, Williams is among at least eight registered lobbyists participating in Goodwin’s transition, alongside Hale and Van de Putte, forming the majority of the 14 members announced on Tuesday.
The inclusion of Seliger and Williams is significant, considering Goodwin will oversee a Texas Senate that remains under Republican control. Despite the Democrats gaining the lieutenant governor’s seat for the first time since 1999, Republicans still hold 19 out of 31 seats in the upper chamber, which may lead to efforts to limit Goodwin’s authority, largely defined by Senate rules.
When asked how she plans to collaborate with the Republican majority in the Senate, Goodwin emphasized her experience working across the aisle during her eight years in the Republican-dominated Texas House. “Passing a bill in the House requires cooperation to ensure it also passes in the Senate,” she remarked. “I have a track record of finding common ground with Republican senators.”
Goodwin’s transition team further includes Judd Messer, a former chief of staff to state Rep. Trent Ashby, who was recently elected to the Senate. Additional members encompass Denise Davis and Jesse Ancira Jr., both former chiefs of staff to ex-House Speaker Joe Straus, a Republican, and retired GOP Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips.
By incorporating Republicans into her team, Goodwin is employing a strategy similar to those of her GOP predecessors when the lieutenant governor’s office last shifted parties. In 2002, former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst appointed Bruce Gibson, a former Democratic state representative and chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock. Similarly, Rick Perry retained some staff from Bullock’s tenure when he assumed the lieutenant governorship in 1998.
While there are no restrictions on lobbyists serving on transition teams, such appointments can raise concerns about potential influence over the new administration. In a related development, Patrick announced on Monday the establishment of his consulting firm, Patrick Strategies, which will advise clients on legislative and business development matters.
Patrick stated that while he will lead the firm after leaving office, he will not take on the role of a lobbyist. Randy Erben, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, noted that hiring lobbyists could be advantageous for Goodwin due to their deep understanding of legislative processes. He explained that this practice is permitted under state ethics laws, provided they remain in advisory roles. If appointed as state employees, they would be required to deregister as lobbyists.
Erben, who has over two decades of experience as a lobbyist, recalled how former House Speaker Tom Craddick enlisted well-known lobbyists Bill Miller and Bill Messer when he first took office. “Members used to say that the lobby is the world’s largest reference library,” Erben noted. “There’s an abundance of expertise.”
