In 2014, she was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor but lost the general election, 58-39 percent, to her Republican senatorial colleague, Dan Patrick of Houston.

[4] Following that defeat, she then resigned from the Texas Senate to run for mayor of San Antonio, which she narrowly lost to Ivy Taylor, 52-48 percent.

[citation needed] Upon graduation, she worked for her grandfather's pharmacy before buying her own business in the Loma Park area of San Antonio.

[citation needed] Van de Putte began her legislative career with her 1990 election to the Texas House of Representatives (District 115).

Van de Putte represented Texas Senate District 26, which consists of a large portion of San Antonio and Bexar County, from 1999–2015.

At about 15 minutes to midnight, Van de Putte confronted the Presiding Officer, State Senator Robert L. Duncan, a Republican from Lubbock, who she said had ignored her repeated motions earlier.

Van de Putte asked him, "at what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over the male colleagues in the room?

Coinciding with her announcement to run for Mayor of San Antonio, Van de Putte resigned from the Senate once her successor Jose Menendez was elected, ending nearly 24 years of work at the Texas Capitol.