AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas is out to save his job Tuesday in a GOP primary runoff that has put rifts within the party on display.

Gonzales, who has clashed with some of his hard-right colleagues in Washington and drawn a rebuke from the state party, is in a race against Brandon Herrera, a gun-rights YouTube creator with more than 3 million followers.

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan also faces a tough challenge that could see him ousted from his powerful seat, upending the Republican-controlled Legislature. Phelan angered conservatives for leading the 2023 impeachment of state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was later acquitted in a Senate trial and then set out to remove those who voted against him.

A Gonzales loss, his supporters warn, would give Democrats an opening to flip a traditionally moderate district in November, while a change in Texas House leadership could push the state’s policymaking even further right.

Here’s a look at the key primary runoffs in Texas:

A BIG BRAWL IN A BIG DISTRICT

Gonzales represents a sprawling district that spans some 800 miles (nearly 1,300 kilometers) of the Texas-Mexico border.

He was first elected in 2020 and easily won again in 2022, but the state Republican Party sanctioned him over a voting record that highlighted an independent streak. That included support for protecting same-sex marriage and for new gun-safety laws following the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, in his district, that left 21 people dead.

Gonzales has also clashed with some hard-right Republicans, calling them “scumbags.”

Herrera, a gun manufacturer and gun-rights activist, was second with nearly 25% of the vote in a five-way primary in March to force the runoff. Gonzales was first with 45%.

Gonzales has the support of some key Republicans who may be wary of ousting an incumbent from an ostensibly safe seat. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has attended a fundraiser for Gonzales, and Gov. Greg Abbott has endorsed him. Herrera’s support on the far right has included a campaign appearance with Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida.

The winner will face Democrat Santos Limon in November.

Only one other House incumbent has been defeated this year: Republican Rep. Jerry Carl of Alabama, who lost an unusual primary to Rep. Barry Moore after the state was forced to redraw congressional districts.

WHO RUNS THE TEXAS HOUSE?

Usually reelection would be a shoo-in for a speaker whose Republican majority passed some of the toughest anti-abortion laws in the country, vastly expanded gun rights, supported Abbott’s highly visible anti-immigration platforms and curtailed LGBTQ+ rights.

Yet Phelan was pushed into a runoff with oil and gas consultant David Covey. Not only that, Phelan came in second in the March primary, meaning he has ground to make up Tuesday. The winner will not have a Democratic challenger in November.

A Phelan loss would start a new round of campaigning for speakership, which is chosen from among the state House members.

TRUMP TIES

Katrina Pierson, a former spokeswoman for former President Donald Trump, is up against incumbent Justin Holland for his state House seat in the Dallas suburbs.

Holland was among House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton. He also voted to raise the age for purchasing assault rifles from 18 to 21, and voted against Abbott’s plan to spend public education money on private schools.

CHALLENGING CUELLAR

Republicans are also deciding who will run in November against Henry Cuellar, a longtime Democratic congressman who along with his wife was indicted this spring on federal bribery, money laundering and fraud charges. He has said he is innocent; three associates have pleaded guilty in related investigations.

Jay Furman, a retired Navy veteran, and rancher and businessman Lazaro Garza, are vying for the nomination to challenge Cuellar in the South Texas district that he has held since 2005. Both have campaigned on tighter border security and immigration restrictions.

There’s another Cuellar on the ballot, too: Rosie Cuellar, his sister, faces Cecilia Castellano in the Democratic runoff for a South Texas state House seat. The March primary was held before Henry Cuellar was indicted, and it is unclear whether his legal troubles will impact her campaign.

The winner advances to the November general election against Republican Don McLaughlin, who was mayor of Uvalde when the school shooting happened.

Texas A&M (44-13) finished the 2024 regular season with one of the best records in the country. On Monday, it earned the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and hosted the College Station Regional in a bracket with Grambling, Louisiana, and the Texas Longhorns.

On its face, this is a very tough bracket. After the Texas A&M women’s softball team’s Super Regional loss to Texas on Sunday, it’s almost like the committee felt that potentially pitting the Longhorns against the Aggies in a rematch on the baseball diamond was a no-brainer, even though both programs will begin to rekindle their rivalry on an annual basis starting next season.

Entering the tournament, head coach Jim Schlossnagle knows that returning to Blue Bell Park should re-ignite the Aggies offense after recent struggles with consistency at the plate, finishing the year 32-3 at Olsen Field. Despite losing two consecutive games in the SEC Tournament last week, Texas A&M stayed at No. 3 in the newest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

Within the College Station bracket, only Louisiana (40-18) is ranked within the poll at No. 23.

Texas A&M will face Grambling (26-26) on Friday, May 31 at 12:00 p.m. CT. The game will be available on ESPN+.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

After a thrilling finish to one of the most exciting series in the softball super regionals, Texas Longhorns softball advanced to the Women’s College World Series with a matchup against No. 8 Stanford.

The Longhorns to 52-8 on the year after defeating Texas A&M 6-5 on Sunday after starting the series down 1-0. Offense from sophomore Viviana Martinez and Mia Scott made the difference on Sunday, while senior Mac Morgan and freshman Teagan Kavan were the pitchers who brought home the win, with Kavan striking out batters to end both the sixth and seventh innings. 

First pitch for the best-of-one matchup will be at 7 P.M. CST on Thursday, May 30, with the winner advancing to the next round to face the winner of Oklahoma State vs. Florida, a potential past and future combination for the SEC-headed Longhorns.

Stanford enters the eight-team WCWS 48-15 on the year and had similar success in its super regional. Stanford dropped its first game to LSU but stayed strong and shut out the Tigers in the next two games, outsourcing them 11-0. The Cardinal are led by the best pitcher in college softball, NiJaree Canady, who boasts a .65 ERA, the best in the nation, in 204.2 innings pitched on the year. Stanford joins the Longhorns in the top 10 for the fewest runs allowed per game, and the pitching duels will be on display in Oklahoma City, the host site of the tournament.

The Longhorns enter as early favorites, having won eight of its last 10 games compared to just six for the Cardinal, and sitting as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. Though powerhouses like No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 5 Oklahoma State and No. 6 UCLA still remain in the tournament, Texas has as good a chance as any to take home the trophy. The Longhorns boasted the best batting average in the country this year, knocking in the second most runs per game, and is one of just five teams remaining with a team ERA under 2.00.

Past just the softball season, the Longhorns and Cardinal have serious bragging rights that come with this game. The NACDA Directors’ Cup is an annual award given to the most successful college sports program. Stanford and Texas are one of just three teams to ever win the award, and Texas had won two in a row until Stanford took the crown in the last collegiate season. After the Cardinal knocked Texas out of Cup contention last year in the baseball super regionals, the Longhorns will be out for revenge with a chance to all but clinch the Directors Cup for the 2023-24 athletic season.