Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to visit Vernon during statewide bus tour

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will make a campaign stop in Vernon Tuesday as part of a bus tour taking him through communities across the state.

Patrick is scheduled to meet with area residents at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Three Hearts Steakhouse, 1722 Pease St.

The Vernon appearance was announced locally by Meredith Randel Wright, who said Patrick would stop at the restaurant to “meet and connect with community members.” Members of the Wilbarger County Republican Party and others were invited to attend.

The stop comes as Patrick, a Republican who has served as lieutenant governor since 2015, campaigns for another four-year term.

Patrick has previously made extensive bus tours through rural Texas a central part of his statewide campaigning.

During his 2022 reelection campaign, Patrick launched a 131-city bus tour that took him through small towns across the state. Patrick said when launching that tour that about half of the Republican vote in Texas came from rural areas and described his goal as mobilizing rural Texans ahead of the November election.

Tuesday’s Vernon appearance follows that model, with Patrick meeting residents at a locally owned restaurant rather than holding a large campaign rally.

Three Hearts Steakhouse is located at 1722 Pease St. and is normally open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays.

Patrick was first elected lieutenant governor in 2014 and took office in January 2015. He was reelected in 2018 and 2022. Before becoming lieutenant governor, he served in the Texas Senate.

The lieutenant governor holds significant power over the legislative process in Texas. In addition to presiding over the Texas Senate, the lieutenant governor appoints Senate committees and their chairs and refers legislation to committees, giving the office considerable influence over which proposals advance.

Patrick has made issues including property tax relief, border security, public education, school choice and expansion of the state’s electric generation capacity priorities during his tenure.

His latest bus tour comes ahead of the Nov. 3 general election and continues Patrick’s effort to maintain a visible campaign presence in rural Texas.

Vernon’s stop also places Patrick in Wilbarger County, a strongly Republican county where statewide GOP candidates have generally received large majorities in recent elections.

The Tuesday event at Three Hearts Steakhouse is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m.