Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Makes First Endorsement Against House Member

With the Republican primary election less than two months away, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has officially waded into his first Texas House race of the cycle.

On Monday, Patrick announced his endorsement of Helen Kerwin, who is running against State Rep. DeWayne Burns (R–Cleburne).

Burns was one of the 21 Republicans who sided with Democrats to kill a school choice proposal in the House late last year. He also was among those who voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Kerwin, who previously served as the mayor of Glenn Rose, also has Gov. Greg Abbott’s endorsement in the race.

The endorsement marks the first endorsement by Patrick this year against a sitting member of the Texas House. Patrick has previously said he generally does not get involved in House races. It also comes one day before House Speaker Dade Phelan is slated to join a fundraising event for Burns.

Attorney Lyndon Laird is also challenging Burns in the Republican primary.

As of publishing, Burns did not respond to a request for comment.

The Republican Primary Election is March 5. Early voting begins February 20.

Brandon Waltens

Brandon serves as the Senior Editor for Texas Scorecard. After managing successful campaigns for top conservative legislators and serving as a Chief of Staff in the Texas Capitol, Brandon moved outside the dome in order to shine a spotlight on conservative victories and establishment corruption in Austin. @bwaltens