Political | Process

The race was called by The Associated Press shortly after 8 p.m. local time, with Abbott garnering nearly 70 percent of the vote with more than 40 percent of ballots tallied.

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• Among the more prominent primary rivals Abbott defeated were former state Sen. Don Huffines, former Florida congressman and ex-chairman of the Texas GOP Allen West, and conservative commentator Chad Prather.

• Abbott has racked up a staunchly conservative record during his two terms but has faced accusations that he lacked sufficient Republican bona fides. 

• Opponents contended he was too slow in reopening the state during the coronavirus pandemic and could have taken more stringent action at the southern border.

• Regardless, Abbott has leaned into GOP culture war issues, backing a sprawling overhaul to the state’s election laws in the aftermath of former President Trump’s claims of fraud in 2020 and pushing for a ban on abortions after six weeks.

• He also forbade private employers from enforcing vaccine mandates and signed legislation allowing Texans to carry handguns without a permit.

• Abbott ran with former President Trump’s support, a powerful rebuttal to claims he was insufficiently conservative, while also winning the backing of the Republican establishment. 

• Huffines conceded to Abbott on Tuesday evening but said he “forced” the governor to tackle culture war issues such as immigration and vaccine mandates.

• The governor has been rumored to be considering a 2024 presidential run, though it’s not clear if he would wage a campaign if Trump were to run for the White House.