Patterson was first elected as Commissioner of the General Land Office in 2002 and was re-elected to the position in 2006 and 2010. A sampling of his accomplishments include: transforming the Permanent School Fund, made the state a leader in renewable energy and oversaw a major expansion of the Veterans Land Fund.

Expulsion, not secession

In an interview with The Associated Press in October 2013, Patterson suggested California, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut should be kicked out of the United States.

“I get lots of questions all the time, ‘Well, we should secede.’ I say, ‘No, I’ve got a better idea. Instead of succession I’m a proponent of expulsion. I want to kick about four states out of this union,” Patterson stated. While calling it "a little tongue in cheek,” he went on to say, “But nonetheless, just think about how different our country would be if New York and California weren’t the tail wagging the dog. And those other states? It’s not America.”

Patterson served three terms as state senator for District 11, which includes Harris, Galveston and Brazoria counties. His major accomplishments in the senate include passage of the concealed hand gun law, a constitutional amendment allowing home equity lending, the state coastal management plan, and the creation of the Texas State Veteran's Home Program. In line with his practice of always advocating for veterans he chaired the first Veterans Affairs committee in the Texas Senate.