The 2014 Republican primaries have been good for incumbents and the GOP establishment over Tea Party candidates. Texas is having none of that. In Tuesday's GOP primary runoff elections, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst lost his bid for re-election to state Sen. Dan Patrick, a former talk radio host backed by Tea Party groups. This is Dewhurst's second big loss to the Tea Party — he was upset by Ted Cruz in the 2012 GOP primary for U.S. Senate. Patrick will face state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D) for the unusually powerful Texas lieutenant governorship.
The Tea Party also won in the race for state attorney general, with state Sen. Ken Paxton beating state Rep. Dan Branch for the GOP nod. And former U.S. Attorney John Ratcliffe, backed by the conservative Club for Growth and Senate Conservatives Fund, unseated 91-year-old Rep. Ralph Hall (R).
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