(Image source: The Texas Tribune )

 

 

BY ZACH TOOMBS

 

 

An establishment Republican versus a Tea Party challenger in the Lone Star state.

 

Texas Lieutenant Gov. David Dewhurst grabbed the most votes in his state’s Republican Senate primary Tuesday — but fell shy of reaching a 50 percent majority.

 

That means he’ll face second place finisher and Tea Party favorite, Ted Cruz in a runoff election at the end of July to replace current Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

 

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow says the duo has been locked in a battle of big name endorsements — with Dewhurst pulling in the support of longtime Texas Governor Rick Perry.

 

“By virtue of that endorsement, the lieutenant governor is essentially the Republican establishment candidate … But he does have an insurgent challenger on the right — a former state solicitor general endorsed by … Governor Sarah Palin.”

 

In a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 18 years, Politico says all eyes are on Texas’ GOP primary race. Along with outside interest groups, four candidates have poured more than $25 million into the contest already. And, according to Politico, Cruz has major momentum.

 

“Dewhurst has solid conservative credentials but it’s Cruz, the insurgent whose candidacy has captured the imagination of national conservatives, who has the backing of Sen. Jim DeMint, [Palin], the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks."

 

Cruz finished with 33 percent of the vote — that’s 13 percent less than Dewhurst. But The Washington Post says the runoff will give outside groups more time to pitch in support for Cruz.

 

“... without the race crystallizing into a Dewhurst-vs.-Cruz battle, the tea party organization hasn’t completely mobilized behind Cruz’s candidacy. If the race goes to a nine-week runoff, that tea party organization should be able to help Cruz be much more competitive ...”

 

If Cruz were able to top Dewhurst, Texas would join Indiana and Nebraska as states where Tea Party candidates beat out well-established frontrunners this year. But The Wall Street Journal writes Dewhurst still has name recognition, his own personal wealth to spend...

 

“...establishment backing and the fact that he is the likeliest to inherit backers of Tom Leppert, the former Dallas mayor who was running third in the Republican primary…”

 

The Democratic Senate primary was also sent to a runoff in the Lonestar State Tuesday. That contest will come down to former state lawmaker Paul Sadler and counselor Grady Yarbrough.