Former Texas state lawmaker Paul Sadler has beaten political unknown Grady Yarbrough in a Democratic runoff to capture a U.S. Senate nomination.

Sadler is an attorney who served in the Texas House from 1991 to 2003. He advances to the November election to replace retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Sadler faced little challenge from Yarbrough, a perennial candidate who ran previously as both a Democrat and a Republican.

Yarbrough likely only made the runoff because he shared a last name with iconic former U.S. Sen. Ralph Yarborough, though he's not related.

Texas hasn't elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.

Sadler supports the White House-backed health care reform, Planned Parenthood clinics and allowing tax cuts for the nation's wealthiest residents to expire.