In a notable twist for Texas politics, two Austin Democrats are poised to make significant strides following an impressive turnout in the party’s primary elections. Sarah Eckhardt secured her place for the upcoming November general election by triumphing in the primary for Texas comptroller.
Meanwhile, State Representative Vikki Goodwin, who has served District 47 in Southwest Travis County, found herself in a competitive race for the lieutenant governor nomination. As of early Wednesday, she had not yet achieved the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff, with challengers Marcos Isaias Velez and Courtney Head also in the mix.
“There is a lot of excitement in this election cycle,” Goodwin expressed. “This is great for Texas. We’ve had 30 years of Republican leadership, and people recognize that it is time for change.”
Should Goodwin secure the nomination, she will face off against incumbent Dan Patrick in November.
Eckhardt, who previously held two terms in the Texas Senate representing District 14, garnered over 60% of the primary vote for the comptroller position, placing her well ahead of rivals Savant Moore and Michael Lange.
Celebrating her victory on Tuesday night, Eckhardt expressed her eagerness to challenge the Republican nominee, Don Huffines. Huffines, a former state senator, emerged victorious from a crowded primary field that included acting comptroller Kelly Hancock, who stepped in following the resignation of Glen Hegar in July 2025.
“This is going to be so much fun, y’all,” Eckhardt told her supporters. “We have a dynamite slate of candidates. We are going to fan out all over the state of Texas for the next 245 days in a relay race, telling people that Texas prosperity should be for Texans and not just for the rich and powerful.”
