Patterson Says He'll Endorse Dewhurst

Former lieutenant governor candidate Jerry Patterson said in an interview with a Dallas news station on Sunday that he would endorse his onetime opponent David Dewhurst.

The nod for Dewhurst comes three weeks before the May 27 Republican runoff, in which Dewhurst faces state Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston. Patrick was the top vote-getter on primary day, beating Dewhurst by about 13 points. 

“It is a very clear choice," Patterson, who currently serves as the state's land commissioner, told KERA News. "We have a person who has consistently proven to be unable to tell the truth versus one who has had some hiccups along the way but is a substantially better choice for lieutenant governor than somebody who has a history of not being able to tell the truth.”

The fourth candidate in the Republican primary, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples — who along with Patterson earned a combined 30 percent of the vote in March — has said he will not endorse in the runoff. 

Patterson has been a forceful critic of Patrick, saying he would take the state backward as lieutenant governor, but had yet to officially back Dewhurst.