Scandal-embroiled Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) on Tuesday was forced into a runoff election after weeks of backlash to reports alleging he had an affair with a former staffer, who later took her own life.

He will face Brandon Herrera — a 2nd Amendment influencer who goes by “TheAKGuy” on social media — in late May. That sets them up for yet another expensive and prolonged contest like they experienced in 2024, when Gonzales prevailed by one percentage point.

Gonzales, who has represented the west Texas district since 2021, has faced calls to resign from several of his GOP colleagues after new evidence emerged of his alleged affair. Gonzales previously denied the affair and repeatedly said he would not step down.

Gonzales’ South Texas district favors Republicans, but could potentially become competitive should Hispanic voters sour on the GOP this cycle or stay home. Even with the scandal, House GOP leadership declined to rescind their endorsements of Gonzales and were content to wait and see how the voters decided.

“There’s a primary there in less than a week, these things will play out,” Speaker Mike Johnson said recently.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) was ousted by a primary challenger who successfully cast the four-term incumbent as anti-Trump and capitalized on a redrawn district.

State Rep. Steve Toth — who had the backing of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — beat Crenshaw on Tuesday night, all but assuring his seat in Congress given the district’s safe-red bend.

Crenshaw was the only incumbent GOP representative in Texas without President Donald Trump’s support and had at times split with the president, including in his criticism of Trump’s refusal to accept his 2020 election loss.

And Toth, with Cruz’s help, focused his campaign on casting Crenshaw as insufficiently conservative for the district, which was redrawn in the GOP’s recent Texas redistricting push.

“You deserve an unwavering fighter, a Republican who walks the walk,” Cruz said in a recent ad for Toth.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton advanced to a runoff in the Senate GOP primary, extending an already-bruising fight into late May that some Republicans worry could hurt their chances of holding onto the seat — and the Senate.

Tuesday night’s result showed some surprising strength for Cornyn, who had trailed Paxton in most public polls and whose allies were worried might finish far behind the MAGA firebrand. And it indicates the four-term senator still has a real chance to retain his seat in late May.

National Republicans widely expected the runoff when Rep. Wesley Hunt, who finished third, jumped into the race last fall. But while Cornyn is still in the battle, saving him will continue to be an expensive endeavor — and one that risks further damaging Paxton, who could still be their nominee.

The senator and his allies already spent more than $100 million to defeat Paxton, highlighting his political and personal baggage, like his recent divorce, accusations of infidelity, ethics complaints and impeachment proceedings.

Paxton brings huge support from the hyper-conservative grassroots – a devoted following derived from his decade serving as Texas’ top lawyer. He has long been closely aligned with President Donald Trump, supporting his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Trump has not yet endorsed in the race.

Democrats believe they have a shot at flipping Texas after decades of falling short, bolstered by a wave of enthusiasm within the party and backlash to the Trump administration over its immigration and economic policies. They’re hoping that the scandal-plagued Paxton emerges victorious from the runoff and gives them a better opening to entice moderate Republicans and independents.

But Cornyn showed Tuesday that he still has some fight left in him.