Former Houston Mayor Bill White has won the Democratic nomination for Texas governor as expected.  But the winner of the hard-hitting GOP race has yet to be determined.

White took nearly 76 percent of the votes early on, defeating Houston self-made businessman Farouk Shami and five other lesser-known candidates in Tuesday's primary.

In the Republican primary, incumbent Rick Perry has been running ahead of longtime Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.  Perry is seeking GOP nomination for an unprecedented third four-year term.

"People are very excited about this race, and they know Governor Perry is trying to stay too long," Hutchison said outside a Dallas polling place.

Tea Party candidate Debra Medina could also pose a threat. She claims she'll bring new voters to the polls-- and it may be enough to force a runoff.

If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two opponents will face a runoff in April.

For the latest on the race, click play for expectations from CBN News Senior Editor John Waage.  Also, stay with CBN News for updated results as they come in Tuesday evening.