Blue Texas? Don't bet on it, Lt. Gov. Patrick tells CPAC: ‘Not ever going to let that happen’

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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick vowed Friday to never let the state turn Democratic, calling the state the "last man standing" electorally against future Democratic presidential candidates. 

"There are a lot of conservative and red states around the country, but if we fall, America falls," Patrick told the audience on the opening night of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas. "The electoral votes of New York, California …combined together means we could never elect a conservative Republican to the White House ever again."

Texas has 38 electoral votes, the most of any reliably Republican state and the second-most of any state next to California, which is a reliably Democratic state with 55 electoral votes.

Texas last voted for a Democrat in a presidential election in 1976, when Jimmy Carter beat Gerald Ford.

TEXAS BATTLE OVER VOTING ACCESS BILL ENTERS ROUND TWO

But the gap has narrowed in recent elections: In November 2020, former President Trump beat Democrat Joe Biden by less than 6 percentage points, down from Trump's 9-point advantage over Hillary Clinton in 2016. The last four presidential elections before that in Texas were double-digit wins for the Republican candidates. 

Democrats spent millions of dollars in Texas last year in a failed attempt (once again) to flip the state, hoping that Latinos and suburban voters would cast ballots for Biden. But that never materialized. 

"I can tell you that as the lieutenant governor of this great state that I’m blessed and honored to serve, we’re not ever going to let that happen," Patrick said. 

He said Texas stood "ready to fight for everything you hold dear wherever you live in America" and promised in 2024 that "Trumpsim will rise again!" 

Patrick praised Trump, who will speak at the conference Sunday afternoon. 

"His policies will live on forever. He has taught America to stand up and fight for this nation," Patrick said. 

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The Texas legislature is working to pass a controversial voting bill that proponents say would make casting a ballot more secure but critics claim would amount to voter suppression for minorities. 

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