Abbreviated. Full report at http://www.charter.net/news/read/categor...ff_elections-ap

The tea party still rules Texas. In an otherwise humbling election year for tea party challengers across the U.S., conservative insurgents in the Lone Star State keep winning like it's 2012. None were bigger than fiery conservative talk radio host Dan Patrick, the tea party caucus founder in the Texas Legislature, ousting longtime Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in a symbolic signal of GOP restlessness

DEWHURST'S [political] DEMISE

Wendy Davis' high-profile run for governor has made this an unusually visible election year for Texas Democrats, and they averted embarrassment by not nominating a U.S. Senate candidate who wants to impeach President Barack Obama. Kesha Rogers, who's allied with frequent presidential candidate and conspiracy theorist Lyndon LaRouche

The oldest-ever member of the U.S. House has failed in his bid for one more term. Congressman Ralph Hall, 91, lost the first runoff of his 34-year congressional career to a challenger half his age...Hall wanted an 18th term that he promised would have been his last, but Ratcliffe pulled away behind support from top tea party groups.

Rick Perry was out of sight and out of mind in his last Republican primary as Texas governor. He only endorsed in one major race — Texas agriculture commissioner, one of his old jobs — and his name was seldom uttered on the campaign trail by GOP candidates up and down the ballot

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