About the Award
Governor William P. Clements Jr. Award
In 1997, DALENPAC established the Governor William P. Clements Jr. Award to honor men and women who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to conservative principles through their time, talent and financial support.
William “Bill” Clements, the award’s first recipient, embodied the spirit of DALENPAC, and the award was named in his honor.
An enormously successful businessman, Governor Clements was generous with both his time and resources, supporting conservative causes and investing in the future of Texas.
During his two terms as governor, he championed significant reforms in education and criminal justice while working to promote fiscal responsibility and limit the growth of government.
2026 Award Recipient:
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
“Soon, he will become the longest-serving Republican lieutenant governor in Texas history. He has led the Senate in a bipartisan manner while remaining steadfast in his commitment to conservative principles. Texas is fortunate to have Dan Patrick.”
-Richard Collins
About Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
Dan Patrick was first elected Lt. Governor of Texas in 2014 and then re-elected in 2018 and 2022. He is a preeminent voice for principled conservative policies both in Texas and across the nation.
Lt. Governor Patrick is a leader in the fight to protect liberty, lower property and business taxes, create jobs and grow our economy, strengthen our grid by adding additional reliable thermal power, provide a high-quality education for all, secure our border, support law enforcement, and to protect life, religious freedom, and the Second Amendment.
Lt. Governor Patrick has been called by critics and supporters the “most effective Lt. Governor in Texas history” and has presided over the most conservative and productive sessions ever. He gives the credit to the Senators for any success attributed to him. “They do the long and hard work of passing legislation,” says Patrick.
Before being elected Lt. Governor, he was twice elected to the Texas Senate in 2006 and 2010 representing part of Harris County. He spent over 40 years in the media as a television anchor, conservative talk host, and successful radio station owner, putting a then-unknown Rush Limbaugh on the air in Houston in 1988.
Lt. Governor Patrick is heavily involved in his community, raising over $20 million for children with disabilities. He wrote a Christian best-seller, “The Second Most Important Book You Will Ever Read,” and produced the award-winning Christian film, “The Heart of Texas.”
Things you might not know about the Lt. Governor: He joined a cattle drive in Montana, once got in the barrel as a rodeo clown at a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo bull riding event, led a 13-piece Motown band in high school, and has a collection of authentic signatures from every U.S. President and the Texas Founders including Bowie, Crockett, and Travis.
Lt. Governor Patrick has been married to his wife Jan, a former schoolteacher, for 47 years. They are the proud parents of two children, Ryan, a former prosecutor, judge and U.S. Attorney, and daughter Shane, a speech therapist and registered nurse. They have a great daughter and son-in-law and are proud grandparents to eight grandchildren.
Previous Award Recipients
2024 Joe Popolo
2022 Trinka Taylor
2019 Jim Francis Jr.
2018 Roy Bailey
2017 Congressman Pete Sessions
2016 Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison
2015 Dan W. Cook III
2014 Amb. Jeanne L. Phillips
2013 Cary Maguire
2012 Congressman Ralph Hall
2011 Congressman Sam Johnson
2010 Fred Meyer
2009 Honorable Bill Ceverha
2008 Richard H. Collins
2007 T. Boone Pickens
2006 Forrest E. Hoglund
2005 J. Ralph Ellis Jr.
2004 Lonnie “Bo” Pilgrim
2003 B. M. “Mack” Rankin
2002 Robert H. Pickens
2001 Louis A. Beecherl Jr.
2000 Margaret Hunt Hill
1999 L. Frank Pitts
1998 Honorable William P. Clements Jr.