Texas primary tidbits: Greg Abbott, Beto O'Rourke, Donald Trump, party in-fighting

WASHINGTON – As the Russian military rolled toward Kyiv and President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union address, the state of Texas held elections that offered previews of intense fall campaigns nationwide.

The Texas primary generated a big-time governor's race; problems with new election laws that make voting harder; a focus by both parties on Hispanic voters; a struggle for the Bush political dynasty; battles between liberal and more traditional Democrats; and success for both pro-Trump candidates and Trump skeptics.

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The primary was a bit early this year. Several states delayed their primaries because of legal disputes over redistricting, and Ohio and Indiana aren't scheduled to hold the next set of votes until May 3.

The Lone Star State offered some interesting results.

Greg Abbott vs. Beto O'Rourke

Voters set up one of the fall's most intriguing governor's races. Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott will face off against Beto O'Rourke, a former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate.

Abbott easily won a GOP primary over two challengers who argued that the governor was not conservative enough. The challenges by Don Huffines, a former state senator, and Allen West, a former state party chairman who was a congressman from Florida, displayed the restiveness some hard-right conservatives feel toward Republican leadership.

"Tonight, Republicans sent a message to keep Texas on the path of opportunity & prosperity," Abbott said on Twitter.

Texas Democrats are in the midst of a yearslong project to try to end Republican dominance. They are investing their hopes in O'Rourke, who nearly unseated GOP Sen. Ted Cruz four years ago.

"This is a campaign of, by, and for the people of Texas," O'Rourke said on Twitter after winning the Democratic gubernatorial nomination with more than 90% of the vote.

Voting law problems

A new Republican-produced voting law, which includes ID requirements and procedures for mail-in voting, created problems that could augur chaos in the fall. Other states have approved similar restrictions.

"We saw vote-by-mail applications and ballots rejected at unprecedented rates, poll sites opening late or not opening at all due to election worker shortages, and widespread technology issues," said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas.

Calling for federal action, Gutierrez said it won't get any easier for Texas or other states: "These issues we’re seeing today will be far bigger problems in November when we have exponentially more people showing up to the polls."

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Republicans said the laws are designed to prevent voter fraud.

Democrats said the goal is to suppress turnout from Democratic constituencies, particularly people of color.

Hispanic voters

Republicans and Democrats used the primary to develop programs designed to drive up turnout among Hispanic voters, a fast-growing segment of the electorate that could make the difference in close contests across the country. Hispanics make up nearly 40% of the Texas population, according to census data.

Both parties claimed progress in Tuesday's elections.

They hope to match the turnout rates in the 2020 presidential election when Hispanics made up 23% of the Texas electorate. Donald Trump, who carried the state overall, won 41% of the Hispanic vote; Biden got 58%.

Proof of success will come in the fall when Hispanic voters play a large role in the Abbott-O'Rourke race and congressional races in South Texas.

Liberals and other Democrats

Some races will go to May 24 runoffs because candidates were unable to muster 50% of the vote.

One of the most notable runoffs involves clashing segments of the Democratic Party – those leaning more to the left against a more moderate old guard.

Jessica Cisneros, 28, an immigration lawyer, forced a runoff with veteran U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar.

Cisneros enjoys the support of some big-name members of the left, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Cuellar may have legal problems. The FBI raided his home in January as part of an undisclosed investigation; he denied wrongdoing.

Another liberal favorite, Greg Casar, won his Democratic primary. The former member of the Austin City Council is a heavy favorite to win his Democratic-leaning district in the fall.

The Bush dynasty on life support

George P. Bush, nephew of former President George W. Bush and grand-nephew of former President George H. W. Bush, made a runoff against incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton – barely.

After 89% of the vote was counted, Bush, a land commissioner, polled less than 23%, and Paxton garnered more than 42%.

Paxton, who was endorsed by Trump, faces a host of legal problems. He cast himself as the anti-establishment candidate.

"I guess what I'd say is, clearly, to the establishment: They got what they wanted," Paxton told supporters. "They got me in a runoff."

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert failed to make the Republican attorney general runoff.

The Trump factor

The former president proclaimed victory in Texas, though many of the candidates he endorsed were rock-solid favorites anyway, such as Abbott.

"All 33 candidates that were Trump endorsed have either won their primary election or are substantially leading in the case of a runoff," Trump said in a written statement.

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Some Republicans who bucked the former president also did well.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, who has annoyed Trump for saying the 2020 election was not "stolen," easily won a Republican primary in a new congressional district.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas primaries: Greg Abbott, Beto O'Rourke, Jessica Cisneros, Trump