A former political advisor to Republican President George W. Bush withdrew Tuesday from the race for next year’s Democratic nomination for Texas lieutenant governor.
In a statement Tuesday, Matthew Dowd said he was ending his candidacy because he saw a growing diversity in candidates for the office, and he didn’t want to stand in the way of new diverse leadership.
His withdrawal comes three weeks after state Rep. Michelle Beckley entered the Democratic field.
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In his statement, Dowd said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the two-term incumbent, “has failed our state and harmed Texans. He seeks to undermine important rights of our fellow citizens and must be defeated. I will do whatever I can to accomplish that end now as a Texan not running for office.”
Also seeking the Democratic nomination for the state’s No. 2 office is Mike Collier, whom Patrick defeated in the 2018 general election. Patrick remains the lone candidate for next year’s GOP nomination.
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