The Republican lieutenant governor's race, the nastiest and most competitive of the primary season, is set to go another round.

State Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston and incumbent David Dewhurst will compete in a May 27 runoff.

In complete statewide returns, Patrick claimed 42 percent of the votes; Dewhurst, 28 percent. Patrick breezed to a large lead over Dewhurst in several of the most populous counties in the state, including Harris, Bexar and Tarrant.

Patrick also held early voting leads in Lubbock, Montgomery and Brazoria counties, state data show.

"We like our chances," Patrick told reporters at a Greenway Plaza hotel. "It's clear the voters of Texas want a new leader."

Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples placed third and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson trailed.

Addressing the crowd at his Houston election party, Dewhurst said: "This race is going into overtime, and we're going to win it."

While conventional wisdom predicted Patrick would trail Dewhurst, the challenger credited grassroots and a higher authority.

"I'm never surprised by the power of God," he said.

He predicted his supporters would return to the polls on May 27 to cinch the nomination for him, while accusing unnamed opponents of running a dirty race.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn topped challenger Steve Stockman, a U.S. representative from Friendswood, in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate with 59 percent of the vote.

"We wish Senator Cornyn best of luck in November and urge everyone to vote for, volunteer for and support the whole Texas GOP ticket," the Stockman campaign tweeted shortly after 8 p.m.

David M. Alameel led Kesha Rogers 47 percent to 22 percent and will face her in the Democratic state Senate runoff.

In the Democrats' race to run for Texas agriculture commissioner, lightly funded Jim Hogan will be in a primary runoff with musician and marijuana-legalization proponent Kinky Friedman. Hogan claimed 39 percent of the vote; Friedman, 38 percent. Hugh Asa Fitzsimons III lost.

George P. Bush, the grandson of one president and nephew of another, was victorious in the Republican primary race to replace Patterson as Texas land commissioner with 73 percent of the vote. He will face Democrat John Cook, a former El Paso mayor, in November.

Locally, a well-funded challenger to the longtime chairman of the Harris County Republican Party avoided a runoff in what was a remarkably divisive and high-profile race to head the largest county GOP in the nation.

Engineer-turned-lawyer Paul Simpson, who out-raised Party Chairman Jared Woodfill by a nearly 5-to-1 margin and spent nearly twice as much in his third run for the unpaid position, defeated the 12-year incumbent with 53 percent of the vote. Woodfill claimed 37 percent.

Simpson accrued endorsements and donations from heavyweights like Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, who fear the local GOP is losing its decades-long stronghold and criticized Woodfill for his management style and overemphasis on contentious social issues they think will alienate young people and other key voting blocks.

In three local races for the Texas Senate:

Paul Bettencourt, the former Harris County tax assessor-collector, won the Republican primary for the seat being vacated by Patrick with 89 percent of the vote.

Incumbent Democrat John Whitmire won his primary race with 75 percent of the vote.

Incumbent Republican Joan Huffman won her primary race with 81 percent of the vote.

The race to replace Gov. Rick Perry, who is not seeking re-election after 14 years in office, may have topped the list of today's contests, but the next slot down the ballot generated the most pre-vote interest.

While Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott and Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth long ago seemed certain to represent their respective parties in November's gubernatorial match, four Republicans waged a spirited campaign for lieutenant governor.

Patterson said he was not sure how involved he would be in a Dewhurst-Patrick runoff.

"I'm not sure if I am going to endorse David Dewhurst, but I cannot campaign and vote for a liar," he said, referring to Patrick. Patterson has been furious with Patrick for misleading voters on the immigration stances of his opponents.

The GOP nominee will face Democrat Leticia Van de Putte, a state representative from San Antonio, in November's general election.

Van de Putte ran without primary opposition.

The close Republican race to succeed Abbott as attorney general is headed to a runoff between state Sen. Ken Paxton of McKinney, who claimed 44 percent of the vote, and Rep. Dan Branch of Dallas, who claimed 34 percent. The winner will face Democrat Sam Houston.

The May runoff will be another statewide race that tests tea party might: Branch is considered the establishment candidate, though he is a more conservative member of Texas House Speaker Joe Straus' inner circle. Paxton is a hard-right Republican who unsuccessfully ran for Straus' position in 2011.

In the race for the Republican nomination for the U.S. congressional seat being vacated by Stockman, former Woodville mayor Brian Babin is headed to a runoff with tea party favorite Ben Streusand, former chairman of Americans for Prosperity Texas and the candidate with largest treasury. Babin claimed 33 percent of the vote; Streusand, 23 percent. The two led 10 other candidates.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady of The Woodlands won his Republican primary race for re-election with 68 percent of the vote..

In several races specific to Harris County:

Kim Ogg, former head of Crime Stoppers of Houston, defeated perennial candidate Lloyd Oliver in the Democratic race for Harris County district attorney, claiming 72 percent of the vote. Ogg will face incumbent Devon Anderson, 48, a Republican who is unopposed.

Anderson was appointed in September to fill her husband's unexpired term after he died unexpectedly from cancer. Because Mike Anderson died taken just eight months before his death, the post is on the ballot and will be up again for election in 2016.

District Clerk Chris Daniel held off challenger Court Koenning in one of the few contested primary races among Harris County Republicans.

With all precincts reporting, Daniel claimed 69 percent of the vote. Daniel, who is seeking a second term, will face lawyer Judith Snively on the November ballot. She ran unopposed for the Democratic Party's nomination.

"I'm proud of the fact that we ran a clean campaign and that we can now work together to keep this a Republican office in November," Daniel said of Koenning.

In state House District 129, small business owner Dennis Paul and Sheryl Berg, president of the Space Center Rotary, will meet in a runoff after besting five other Republican candidates vying for the seat being vacated by retiring state Rep. John Davis. Berg claimed 26 percent of the vote; Paul 25.

In District 131, state Rep. Alma Allen, a Democrat and former member of the State Board of Education claimed 89 percent of the vote to defeat Azuwuike Okorafor.

In District 132, attorney Mike Schofield, who served under Perry as a policy adviser, led three Republican candidates and will meet Ann Hodge in a runoff to compete for the seat left by Bill Callegari, a Katy Republican who represented the district since 2000. Schofield claimed 45 percent of the vote; Hodge, 20.

In District 134, Rep. Sarah Davis, a Republican who defied her party on abortion, handily won her primary with 71 percent of the vote. She defeated challenger Bonnie Parker and will face Democrat Alison Ruff in November.

Parker previously campaigned for Davis, but sought to unseat her after Davis voted against a sweeping package of abortion restrictions in the last session of the Texas Legislature.

"We definitely heard some people were unhappy with it," Davis said. "It was obviously the basis of why Bonnie Parker ran against me. But overall, I think my perspective on the issue and the way I voted is what the majority of my constitutes agree with me on."

She said she had no hard feelings against Parker.

"That is democracy in action," she said.

In District 145, Rep. Carol Alvarado soundly beat Susan Delgado, claiming 86 percent of the vote.

"We are very proud of the numbers," Alvarado said from her victory party at El Tiempo restaurant on Navigation. "They emphasized the strong connection we have with our constituents in District 145. We tried to be active, visible and accessible year round and the numbers proved that."

She said she is ready for the November general election.

"If we keep doing what we are doing, I think it will lead us to another landslide."

Alvarado, a former Houston City councilwoman, last year lost to Sylvia Garcia in a bid to fill Mario Gallegos' state Senate post.

In District 149, former Houston City Councilman Al Hoang defeated Nghi T. Ho in a Republican contest in southwest Houston to take on state Rep. Hubert Vo, a Democrat. Hoang received 57 percent of the vote.

Hoang narrowly lost his bid to be re-elected as a councilman last November, and made a surprise move by seeking the state representative post.

Ho has served as an Alief school district trustee, a financial planner, and former Navy officer.

In District 150, Rep. Debbie Riddle, a Republican, defeated businessman Tony Noun, claiming 75 percent of the vote.

"It is a pretty strong showing, so I am very grateful," Riddle said of the vote.

And in Harris County judicial races:

Democratic candidate Steven Kirkland defeated Lori Gray in a tight race for the 113th civil district court judgeship nomination, claiming 52 percent of the vote. Their race was tense with attack ads that prompted Mayor Annise Parker to come to Kirkland's defense. Kirkland will face incumbent Republican Judge Michael Landrum, who is unopposed.

Embattled incumbent Family Court Judge Denise Pratt will face a runoff with Republican challenger Alicia Franklin for the nomination in the 311th state District Court race. Pratt received 30 percent of the vote; Franklin, 23 percent. Democrat Sherri Cothrun is unopposed.

Pratt, on the job four years, has drawn criticism in recent months concerning mass dismissals of cases and backdated records in her court but avoided indictment from a Harris County grand jury in December. The freshman judge has denied wrongdoing.

In another contested family court race in the Republican primary, Associate Judge Meca "M.L." Walker and businessman-turned-attorney John Schmude will compete in a runoff for the 247th District Court to replace retiring Judge Bonnie Crane Hellums. Walker made headlines after being forced to return donations that violated state contribution limits during the campaign.

Schmude received 37 percent of the vote; Walker 34 percent.

Rainy and ice-pelleted conditions apparently kept many local voters indoors Tuesday. The Harris County Clerk's Office reported that turnout was "depressed" due to the wet and cold.

County Clerk Stan Stanart had already edged away from projections that as many as 110,000 Republicans and 70,000 Democrats might cast ballots. Spokesman Hector DeLeon said those earlier estimates had not taken inclement weather into account. He said there were no reports of unusual problems.