Perry Rolls to Victory in Texas Primary

DALLAS—Texas Gov. Rick Perry rode a wave of anti-Washington sentiment to victory Tuesday in the hard-fought Republican gubernatorial primary, beating U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Notching what he described as a victory for American conservatism, Mr. Perry also avoided an expensive and time-consuming runoff. Ms. Hutchison conceded when it appeared almost certain he would get more than half the vote.

Associated Press

Texas Gov. Rick Perry shakes hands after a Texas Independence Day ceremony at the Military Entrance Processing Station in Dallas on Tuesday.

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With nearly all of the state's more than 8,000 precincts reporting, Mr. Perry had 51%, while Ms. Hutchison had 31%.

Nearly one in five voters cast ballots for newcomer Debra Medina, a favorite of Tea Party activists, in a race that drew national attention as a referendum on the direction of the Republican Party.

As personified by Mr. Perry, the party's future would stress economic growth and independence from Washington—he accuses agencies from the Education Department to the Environmental Protection Agency of treading on Texas's toes. Though Texas traditionally prizes independence from the federal government, Mr. Perry also tapped into surging anti-incumbent fervor here, despite the fact that he has been governor since 2000 and is seeking an unprecedented third full term.

Ms. Hutchison's 16 years in the U.S. Senate, by contrast, helped Mr. Perry turn her into a political piñata. The Republican nomination has been a hotly contested prize since July, when Ms. Hutchison said she would leave the Senate to campaign for governor. Her later decision not to do so hurt her chances, giving Mr. Perry an opening to brand her as indecisive. She also failed to make a strong case for replacing Mr. Perry, political experts say.

"There's been way too much Hamlet in the last year," said Calvin Jillson, a professor of political science at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "It makes her seem a little rudderless." Ms. Hutchison argued that she needed to remain in the Senate to fight for Texans, and has pledged to stay in Washington until the Obama administration's health-care plan is defeated.

Many Republicans would be happy to see her stay in the Senate, said Royal Masset, a former state party chairman and consultant in Austin. The exception: "The 100 people down on the food chain who couldn't move up because she didn't vacate the seat," he said, noting that some of them are his clients.

Mrs. Medina, a nurse from south Texas who favors replacing property taxes with sales taxes, burst into the statewide political scene through her strong performances at two debates. But she fumbled a question about whether the federal government was involved in the 9/11 attacks.

She was also hampered by a small war chest, having raised less than $800,000, most of it since mid-January.

Ms. Hutchison raised $14 million and spent almost $20 million, while Mr. Perry raised almost $13 million and spent about $17 million.

The eventual Republican winner will face Bill White, the former mayor of Houston, who declared victory in the Democratic primary, dominating a quirky field led by Farouk Shami, a hair-products impresario.

Mr. White immediately attacked Mr. Perry's policies and the length of his tenure in office. "Texas is ready for a new governor," he said.