(CN) — Texans decided Tuesday who they want to see represent the Republican party in November in several races left undecided after the March 5 primary election.
The Republican primary in Texas' 23rd Congressional District has drawn significant national attention.
The West Texas congressional district has been in the national spotlight since the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde two years ago.
As of 12:04 a.m. Central Time Wednesday, incumbent Tony Gonzales narrowly beat Brandon Herrera by 407 votes. The margin is narrow enough that Herrera could request a recount.
"The future of America remains as bright as ever," Gonzales said on X. "Thank you #TX23 for continuing to place your faith in me."
Gonzales has a very conservative voting record overall, but set himself apart with a few key votes outside the party line, particularly for his support of bipartisan gun control legislation in 2022.
The primary in the 23rd District, which covers an area from San Antonio to El Paso and encompasses much of the Texas-Mexico border, was just one on the front in the ongoing civil war in the Republican Party. Both in Texas and nationally, increasing polarization has pushed the GOP further to the right, leaving it increasingly reliant on large donors.
In the Lone Star State, that intraparty battle has revolved around national issues like guns and immigration, and local issues, including the attempt to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton last year, and Governor Greg Abbott's continued push for school vouchers.
Paxton set his sights on ousting Dade Phelan, the current Speaker of the Texas House who led the impeachment effort, and the state representatives and senators who voted to impeach. Billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, two of Texas’ largest Republican donors, threw their weight behind the attorney general.
Phelan represents Texas House District 21, which covers areas around Beaumont and Port Arthur in southeast Texas.
Paxton, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and former President Donald Trump all endorsed Phelan's opponent David Covey, despite Phelan’s vocal support for Trump in the past. Covey led Phelan by 3 points in the March primary.
With 99% of precincts reporting, the incumbent speaker led by less than 400 votes as of 10:00 p.m. Central Time. Phelan declared victory at around 9:30 p.m., and Covey conceded.
In District 23, Gonzales outraised Herrera significantly, collecting $4.5 million and $1.4 million, respectively, according to the Federal Election Commission. Moreover, Gonzales garnered a litany of major endorsements. From Abbott to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, GOP figures across Texas and the nation put their name behind the incumbent.
Pro-Gonzales ads, which aired over Memorial Day weekend, went after Herrera opponent for his attitude online towards veterans, with ads like this one from the Republican Jewish Committee’s RJC Victory Fund using a clip of Herrera mocking veteran suicide.
The district is home to home to two major military installations: Joint Base San Antonio and Fort Bliss.
Herrera, meanwhile, had the support of U.S. Representatives Chip Roy and Matt Gaetz.
In the 12th Congressional District, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, state Representative Craig Goldman, a rising star of the Texas GOP, handily defeated his runoff challenger, businessman John O’Shea, by a large margin. With 83% of precincts reporting, Goldman led by more than 6,000 votes or 26% as of 11:00 p.m.
Goldman out-raised O’Shea by a vast margin — collecting $2 million compared to O'Shea's $340,000, according to the FEC. He was endorsed by Abbot and incumbent Kay Granger, and was seen by many Republicans as her natural successor.
Goldman voted in favor of Paxton's impeachment last year, leading the attorney general to endorse O'Shea.
Abbott congratulated Goldman on the victory on X, formerly Twitter.
In a smaller affair, two city councilman vied to nab the GOP nomination for the 32nd Congressional District.
As of 11:10 p.m., with 65% of votes counted, far-right candidate Darrell Day led center-right candidate David Blewett by 30 points or 1,200 votes
Polls remained open until 9 p.m. in much of North Texas, as storms knocked out power to many polling sites over the weekend.
In the Republican runoff in District 28, Jay Furman will go on to face the Democratic incumbent U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, who was recently charged with bribery and money laundering.
Three other Republican primaries for the U.S. House have yet to be called in Texas.
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