AUSTIN — Former Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff endorsed Democrat Mike Collier over GOP incumbent Dan Patrick Thursday, adding another prominent cross-party supporter to his coalition of support.
Ratliff is the most prominent Republican yet to throw his support behind Collier, whose campaign in recent weeks has emphasized his past as a former Republican. Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley and state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, have also endorsed Collier.
“When I ran for office, I had support from both sides of the aisle because the people of East Texas voted for the man, not the party,” Ratliff said in a news release from Collier’s campaign. “As a former elected Republican, I’m putting partisanship aside and joining the growing number of Republicans voting for the man we think is best for Texas, and that’s Mike Collier.”
Ratliff served in the Legislature as a senator from 1999 until he was elected by the Senate in 2000 to finish the term of Rick Perry as lieutenant governor. Perry succeeded George W. Bush as governor after Bush was elected president. Ratliff did not run for a full term as lieutenant governor in 2022 and retired from the Senate in 2004.
During his time in the Legislature, Ratliff was a well-known moderate Republican who sided with Democrats during a bitter redistricting battle that contributed to his eventual retirement from public office.
In recent weeks, Collier has been making a play for moderate Republicans and independents as his campaign heads into the home stretch of campaigning. It has been a stark about-face after he fended off challengers in the Democratic primary and runoff who questioned his progressive bonafides.
“We are building a coalition across the state and across the aisle, and I could not be more proud to have Governor Ratliff’s support,” Collier said in the announcement.
Patrick’s campaign manager Allen Blakemore called Ratliff’s endorsement a “Dinosaur parade.”
“I haven’t heard his name in nearly 20 years,” Blakemore said in a text message. “As I said earlier, the post Labor Day Dinosaur parade has begun.”
Patrick has also picked up an across-the-aisle endorsement, from Brownsville Democratic state Sen. Eddie Lucio.
Ratliff alluded to Patrick’s leadership style in his endorsement. As the president of the Senate, Patrick has been notoriously punitive to senators voting against his priorities.
Seliger, the Amarillo senator who endorsed Collier, faced Patrick’s retribution after bucking Republicans on several occasions. He is not seeking reelection after the Senate redistricted his seat to favor a Midland challenger.
“Members of the Senate should be free to vote their district without fear of retribution or retaliation from the Lt. Governor and all 31 Senators should have a voice for their constituents,” Ratliff said.
