Texas Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is pushing to diminish the powers of the office he has held since 2015 before his Democratic successor ever takes office, arguing that GOP lawmakers should transfer authority away from the woman who defeated him in last week's midterm elections.

Speaking Monday with conservative radio host Mark Davis, Patrick said Republican state senators should strip Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin of her role as president of the state Senate before she is even sworn in. Goodwin, a Democrat, unseated Patrick by six percentage points.

"I support the Republicans standing up for their voters," Patrick told Davis. "I think the Senate should do that," he added, referring to moving the office's powers to a Republican majority leader. Patrick said that had he won — as he expected to — "I was going to begin to change those rules," framing such steps as necessary to "protect the conservative majority."

The lieutenant governor of Texas wields considerably more authority than counterparts in most other states, per The Washington Post. The office oversees the state budget, makes committee and chairmanship appointments, and works with the governor to set the legislative agenda. Patrick has exercised all of those powers across his 11 years in the role.

When Texas senators return to session in January, the GOP caucus will hold a simple majority — enough to hand Goodwin's powers to a Republican majority leader. How far the caucus goes when it writes the chamber's rules — and whether it installs a majority leader with the authority Patrick described — will determine how much of the office's traditional power Goodwin actually exercises.

Goodwin's victory came amid a historic Democratic sweep of the Texas ballot, in which every statewide seat went to the Democrats. Democrats also took control of the state House, and Gina Hinojosa unseated Gov. Greg Abbott for the governorship, though Republicans retained their state Senate majority. With Democrats set to hold the governor's office and the state House, the internal rules of the Republican-held Senate would help shape how much legislative influence the party retains in the coming session.

Speaking on MS NOW last week, Goodwin cautioned that Republicans would be stripping her of authority "at their peril because we will have elections again in 2028." Despite the standoff, Goodwin has reached out to Republican state senators in an effort at cooperation. A statement from her transition team said she "believes that Texas is best served by a deliberative, collaborative body."

Patrick, who first took office in 2015, has accumulated enough power during his tenure to rank among the most consequential lieutenant governors in the country. A loyal ally of President Donald Trump, he was praised by the president in a Truth Social post during last year's redistricting dispute as an "incredible friend." Patrick also presided over the Senate acquittal of Attorney General Ken Paxton following Paxton's 2023 impeachment by the Texas House, and he has championed GOP priorities such as the school voucher program.