Pat Dixon, a Lago Vista engineering consultant and former city council member, is running as the Libertarian Party nominee for Texas governor in the Nov. 3 general election. Dixon, 62, said he is running because voters deserve more than two choices and because he believes liberty has diminished as government has grown.

Dixon faces Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and the Democratic nominee. He previously ran as a Libertarian for U.S. House Texas District 20 in 2024 and for Texas State Senate District 14 in 2022.

Candidate information

  • Party: Libertarian
  • Age: 62
  • Residence: Lago Vista, Texas
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Paper Science and Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio (1987); Archbishop Alter High School (1982)
  • Occupation: President of DPAS Inc., an engineering consulting firm, since 1998
  • Family: Single
  • Previous offices held: Lago Vista City Council, 2005–2007 and 2008–2010
  • Other experience: Chaired the Libertarian Party of Texas for 10 years; worked with Republican and Democratic state legislators since 2004; held leadership roles in nonprofit organizations

Experience and public service

Dixon has held several positions in the engineering field, including Southwest Region Engineering Manager at GPA from 2016 to 2020 and Advanced Control Consultant at Emerson Process Management from 2004 to 2015. He has run his own firm, DPAS Inc., since 1998.

On the Lago Vista City Council, Dixon said he increased police pay to attract and retain officers and avoid costly lawsuits. He cited his work with state legislators from both major parties and his decade leading the state Libertarian Party as evidence he can handle the governor's office.

On the issues

Economic growth and sustainability

Dixon identified "Free Market Sustainability" as his top priority. He said his opponents give tax dollars to large corporations to lure them to Texas, shifting the burden of growth onto residents. Dixon said growth should pay for itself, with businesses covering the costs they create for water, energy, roads, schools and public safety. He pointed to data center tax incentives as an example, saying Texas is projected to forgo roughly $3.2 billion in sales-tax revenue over two years because of exemptions for qualifying data centers.

Property taxes and state budget

Dixon said he would focus on cutting state spending before pursuing lower taxes. He said the state budget reached $321 billion and that he would respect local control over tax policy. "Beware of those who make popular promises with no detail," Dixon said. "Honesty is the best policy."

Education

Dixon said he supports school choice and wants a statewide scholarship that gives every child the same amount of funding to follow them to any school. He said that approach would resolve the state's Robin Hood (Chapter 41) funding disputes and remove politically motivated testing mandates, freeing teachers to use their skills.

Border policy

Dixon said the governor does not make federal border policy but must be involved given Texas' large border. He said he would participate in effective immigration policy but would refuse to do so if it meant harming the life, liberty or property of Texans.

Criminal justice

Dixon called for the exoneration of Robert Roberson, who has been on death row since 2003. New evidence shows Roberson is innocent, Dixon said. He pointed out that 84 members of the Texas House signed a clemency petition for Roberson in 2024. The governor should request the Board of Pardons and Paroles reconsider the case, he said.

Dixon also supports non-partisan redistricting, according to his campaign website.