Beth Van Duyne, the former mayor of Irving, won the Republican primary for Texas’ 24th Congressional District on Tuesday, avoiding a runoff.

Only one other Republican, David Fegan, broke double digits.

In the Democratic primary, retired Air Force Col. Kim Olson and former Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board member Candace Valenzuela are headed to a May 26 runoff.

Jan McDowell, who previously ran twice for the district as a Democrat, was a distant third place.

At her watch party at Boomer Jack’s in Bedford, Texas Kim Olson with husband Kent Olson thanks her supporters and volunteers for their work on her campaign to be the Democratic candidate in Texas’ 24th Congressional District . (Robert W. Hart/Special Contributor) (Robert W. Hart / Special Contributor)

The open seat to represent the bundle of northern suburbs squished between Dallas and Fort Worth is one of the most closely watched in the nation. The seat came into play after Rep. Kenny Marchant, an eight-term Republican from Coppell, announced his retirement last year.

“It’s been a really good night,” Van Duyne said. “The Republicans in this district are unified in having a candidate who can get things done and focus on the issues that are important to this district.”

Olson said her campaign was powered by grassroots volunteers, not Washington — a veiled dig at Valenzuela, who had the backing of influential progressive organizations such as Emily’s List.

“This campaign went up against a candidate who was backed by D.C., and we were able to do it without D.C. and big PAC money,” Olson said.

Texas' 24th Congressional Primary Democratic candidate Candace Valenzuela arrives at her watch party on Super Tuesday, March 3, 2020 in Carrollton. (Juan Figueroa/ The Dallas Morning News) (Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)

Valenzuela countered, saying her support stemmed from her years as a school board member with local volunteers pulling double shifts to knock on doors and make phone calls.

“We’re going to get stronger as the field narrows,” she said. “We have every plan to go on and go hard. We have a lot of momentum. We’re going to continue to build on it. There will be more to come.”

During the primary, there was little daylight between Olson and Valenzuela on policy. Unless one or both of the candidates better defines or shifts their policies, the runoff is likely to become a contest of personalities.

Democrats see the contest as a chance to grow their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. On the trail, candidates cast themselves as the most electable in a district that has radically changed since its lines were drawn a decade ago.

Today, about 55% of the 817,147 who live in the district are non-white. That’s an eight-point jump since 2010.

Valenzuela said Tuesday that she believes her working-class background has resonated with voters and that she believes, now more than when she first launched her campaign, that it is important more people like her go to Washington.

“We need the full-blown American experience in Congress, and we’re not going to get that with the current system,” she said.

Meanwhile, Republicans are determined to protect what has long been their turf. And the five candidates in the race jockeyed to be the candidate most like President Donald Trump.

Van Duyne’s opponents attempted to use her lackluster endorsement of Trump in the 2016 election against her. However, Van Duyne, who spent about two years working at the Department of Urban Housing and Development, won Trump’s endorsement earlier this year.

Despite a runoff election likely standing between her and Van Duyne, Olson lobbed a full attack on the former Trump administration official.

“This district, like America, is not interested in another leader who will drive a wedge into the electorate,” Olson said. “We don't need a female Trump. We don't."

Van Duyne declined to discuss Olson’s attack directly.

“Right now, what you’re seeing is the Democrats haven’t gotten behind one candidate,” she said. “Right now, we’re focusing on talking with people about what will strengthen their lives.”