Texas Rep. Bryan Hughes prevailed in his Senate race against fellow Republican Rep. David Simpson of Longview on Tuesday night by a more than two-to-one margin.
The tally was 27,348 votes for Hughes and 12,105 for three-term House member Simpson with all precincts reporting. Hughes has no Democratic challenger in November.
Hughes ran a textbook successful campaign-he raised more money and drew endorsements by every significant conservative statewide organization as well as from a host of Republican leaders in Austin.
Those included Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's right-out-of-the-gate endorsement early last summer, when Hughes and Simpson indicated they would seek the seat being vacated by Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler.
Hughes won in all 16 of the Senate District's counties, including Simpson's Gregg County home, which fell to Hughes, 3,081 to 2,428.
"I'm just overwhelmed at the outpouring of support," Hughes told the Tyler Morning Telegraph. "We're humbled and very thankful for this support. It's a big responsibility and we're ready to get to work.
"My priorities will be what we've been talking about all through the campaign, as we've knocked on doors and talked to people," he told the Morning Telegraph. "We'll focus on fighting the expansion of Obamacare, fighting to secure the border and fighting for religious freedom, as we see it coming under fire more and more."
Simpson attributed part of Hughes' victory to his support from Patrick.
"He had overwhelming support due to the lieutenant governor," Simpson said.
Simpson was embraced as a Tea Party voice in 2011, when he beat longtime GOP Rep. Tommy Merritt of Longview.
But he saw his sway in conservative circles erode as he championed reforms to seized asset forfeiture laws that are near and dear to law enforcement.
Hughes also won an early endorsement from the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, in part on that issue.
Law enforcement associations similarly were irked by Simpson's medical marijuana stance, filing a bill last spring to legalize the plant like any produce. He said he wanted the plant available for people suffering from seizures and post-traumatic stress disorder but did not want to create government registries that go with medical marijuana protocols across the country.
"We made some advances in medical freedom and liberty, in loving other people's liberty as much as your own," he said.
Simpson said he was not ready to speculate on the one-sided loss.
"I am surprised he won by so much," Simpson said. "I was hoping it would be close, at least. It wasn't even that. I have a little feeling for what Robert E. Lee felt when he went and surrendered to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant."
Simpson called Hughes to concede at about 9 p.m.
"I congratulated him and wished him the best," he said.
"I have a good conscience," Simpson said. "We've run a good race, and I'm not ashamed of what we've done."
Tuesday's polling took a caution flag in Smith County, where Elections Administrator Karen Nelson announced mid-day that an Oncor Electric Delivery upgrade in downtown Tyler would force her office to refrain from updates during counting in order to meet a 10:30 p.m. Tuesday start time Oncor had announced that morning.
Oncor spokesman Charles Hill told the News-Journal later that day the work would not affect Nelson's operation.
The race between the two House members was set up by a four-way race to succeed Eltife.
Primary night, March 1, left Hughes clearly atop the race but short of a majority of 133,033 votes counted that night.
The results also left Simpson six-later 13-votes ahead of third-place finisher James K. "Red" Brown, a Lindale ISD trustee, in unofficial totals.
Queen City Naval retiree Mike Lee finished fourth, and he soon endorsed Simpson.
Speculation as provisional and overseas ballots were verified and counted during the ensuing week cast speculation over whether Brown or Simpson was the actual second-place finisher.
The Republican Party of Texas silenced those questions with its official canvass, announced nine days after the primary.
That left a 75-day sprint between Hughes and Simpson.
Each knocked doors, marshaled volunteers and solidified a contrasting list of endorsements.
Simpson released a list of county-level party officials and ex-officials as endorsing him, including former Gregg County party Chair Keith Rothra.
Simpson also touted endorsements by 17 public school superintendents, doubtless appreciative of his opposition to letting parents shift public school money to private school.
Simpson also won the endorsement of Eltife's predecessor, retired former Lt. Gov. and Sen. Bill Ratliff of Mount Pleasant.
Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano and Gregg County District Attorney Carl Dorrough endorsed Hughes. Both had bristled at Simpson's stances on civil asset seizure and forfeiture laws and marijuana.