Educator and longtime McKinney resident Angela Paxton won her bitter battle for the Republican nomination for state Senate District 8 Tuesday night.

The Republican contest pitting Paxton against businessman Phillip Huffines is believed to be one of the most expensive Senate races in recent memory. Together, the two hard-right conservative candidates spent more than $9 million to woo voters in the weeks leading up to Tuesday's primary.

It was also one of the nastier campaigns, with attack ads from both camps in recent weeks.

"The voters spoke clearly - one can neither lie nor buy their way to office in North Texas," Paxton campaign spokesman Anthony Holm said around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, shortly after Huffines conceded.

Texas Senate District 8 Republican primary candidate Phillip Huffines greets supporters during his election returns watching party at Event 1013 in Plano, Tuesday March 6, 2018. (Brandon Wade / Special Contributor)

Huffines' campaign strategist Matt Langston said he "is looking forward to helping her in the general election and advancing the cause of liberty in Texas."

Huffines is a real estate developer and former Dallas County Republican Party chairman who had hoped to join his twin brother, state Sen. Don Huffines, in the Texas Legislature. He moved from Highland Park to Richardson last year so he could run for the Senate seat. During the campaign he emphasized his family's longtime ties to the area through real estate developments and family-owned car dealerships.

"Tonight we did not prevail," Huffines told a crowd at his watch party in Plano according to Fox 4.

Paxton launched her bid in September, eyeing the seat previously held by her husband, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. She has been a favorite among Collin County elected officials, many of whom publicly endorsed her over Huffines.

The Huffines campaign flooded district voters with advertising in the days leading up to the election. The latest campaign finance reports showed Huffines spending more than twice what Paxton did.

Paxton will face the winner of the Democratic primary in November. Late Tuesday, lawyer Mark Phariss of Plano was slightly ahead of engineer Brian Chaput of Plano for the Democratic bid.

The candidates are seeking to fill the seat held by state Sen. Van Taylor, who won his Republican primary race in a bid for the congressional seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson.

Incumbent loses District 30

In state Senate District 30, incumbent Craig Estes lost by a wide margin in his bid for the Republican nomination to Pat Fallon, a strong conservative with five years of legislative experience.

Fallon, 50, is a former Frisco City Council member who was elected in 2012 to a newly created state House district that covered eastern Denton County. He won re-election twice more.

Estes, 64, of Wichita Falls was first elected to the Senate seat in 2001.

Fallon decided to move to Prosper and challenge Estes after he heard complaints from the expansive district that Estes was aloof and inaccessible.

The third Republican candidate, businessman Craig Carter of Nocona, finished in third place.

The district serves 14 counties, including parts of Collin and Denton counties. The winner will face Democrat Kevin Lopez of Bridgeport in November. Lopez had no primary opponent.