http://twitter.com/#!/MelissaTweets/status/230452798993596416

The polls have just closed in Texas. Twitter is abuzz with excitement as Tea Party activists wait for results in the GOP Senate run-off election. We’ll keep you updated throughout the night. Keep refreshing this post for the latest!

Follow Texas Senate results here: http://t.co/UccZwSvW @tedcruz #choosecruz

— Melissa Clouthier (@MelissaTweets) August 1, 2012

Polls just closed but here's the early state #s in #TXSen race: Cruz 54%, Dewhurst 46% w/ 1% PCT reporting.

— Jeff Vaughn (@JeffVaughn) August 1, 2012

Chick Fil A has showed up at the @tedcruz election night hq. #TXsen

— Jason M Ryan (@JasonRyanTexas) August 1, 2012

Based on early returns, it’s looking good for upstart Ted Cruz:

@tedcruz sweeps the four big NTX counties that Dewhurst needed to win or run very strong. Denton County goes to @tedcruz 62-38. #wfaavote

— Brad Watson (@bradgwatson) August 1, 2012

Looking bad for @DavidHDewhurst in critical north TX: Collin County goes strong for Cruz, 60-40. #wfaavote

— Brad Watson (@bradgwatson) August 1, 2012

@tedcruz clobbers Dewhurst in Harris County EV 60-39. #wfaavote

— Brad Watson (@bradgwatson) August 1, 2012

Be still and observe the peaceful and orderly transition of power. In this American republic we are truly blessed. #txsen #txrunoff

— Aaron Peña (@AaronPena) August 1, 2012

In Hidalgo County, in the #txsen race, early vote numbers show Ted Cruz at 65% to David Dewhurst 35% http://t.co/ePMYv4lo #txrunoff

— Aaron Peña (@AaronPena) August 1, 2012

Early vote in Collin County #txsen Cruz: 60.4% and Dewhurst 39.6% Go @TedCruz

— dachsiemoron (@dachsiemoron) August 1, 2012

@tedcruz up on Dewhurst in Wilson county 60-40. #txsen #txrunoff

— A. F. Messamore (@afmessamore) August 1, 2012

Kerr County goes for Cruz in early voting: 53-47 #txsen #txrunoff

— A. F. Messamore (@afmessamore) August 1, 2012

ELECTION: @tedcruz has 52% of the vote, @davidhdewhurst has 47%. 168 of 7,957 precincts reporting. #wfaavote

— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) August 1, 2012

AP early poll reporting shows Cruz up with 63 percent in Montgomery County #txrunoff

— ChrisTomlinson (@cltomlinson) August 1, 2012

Cruz 53.6%, Dewhurst 46.4% via AP at 8:32 p.m. ET. 2.5% in. http://t.co/MzRbJy3I #TXRunoff

— Dalton Allen (@thedaltonallen) August 1, 2012

Hey NBC, you see how twitter works better for live events. #txrunoff

— Michael Li (@mcpli) August 1, 2012

#BREAKING: Ted Cruz beats out David Dewherst and takes the Olympic Gold Medal in Legislating. NBC to run a tape-delayed broadcast @ 4 AM.

— Mike Gannon ن (@MikeCGannon) August 1, 2012

…It looks like Ted Cruz has the momentum according to the rapid reply twitter poll. #TXsen #Cruz

— Ξ BLACK REPUBLICAN Ξ (@blackrepublican) August 1, 2012

ELECTION: @tedcruz has 52% of the vote, @davidhdewhurst has 47%. 360 of 7,957 precincts reporting. #wfaavote

— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) August 1, 2012

I'm thinking this @tedcruz race may be about to turn into a curbstomping.

— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) August 1, 2012

As of right now, we're seeing Ted Cruz give Dewhurst a shellacking. Just a sneak preview of what November will bring Obama nationwide

— Demetrius Minor (@dminor85) August 1, 2012

One hour into the vote count, Cruz maintains a nearly 20,000-vote lead.

Ted #Cruz is maintaining a 20k vote lead over David #Dewhurst. #KTREelection

— KTRE News (@KTREnews) August 1, 2012

Wow. Ted Cruz really *is* trending on Twitter. #TXSEN

— Dos Mas Cervezas (@DosMasCervezas) August 1, 2012

After November the racist tea party will have elected two Hispanic senators. There goes that narrative #tedcruz

— CJ Good (@Aidansheart) August 1, 2012

12.48% in and @tedcruz is extending his lead 53.37% to 46.62%, almost 40,000 votes separating. #TxSen

— Aaron Gardner (@Aaron_RS) August 1, 2012

Media outlets are beginning to call the race for Cruz just before 9:30 p.m. Eastern.

BREAKING: Tea party-backed Cruz beats Texas Lt. Gov. Dewhurst in runoff, wins GOP Senate nomination: http://t.co/UxvjWQmO -CJ

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 1, 2012

Cruz wins the Texas Republican Senate Runoff with 53.6%. 20.3% precincts in. http://t.co/N9AbV14g #TXRunoff #TXsen Congrats @tedcruz!

— tedfrank (@tedfrank) August 1, 2012

We're calling #txsen race for @tedcruz over @DavidHDewhurst. #gop #txrunoff

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) August 1, 2012

AP Calls it — Tea party-backed Ted Cruz has defeated Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

— Chris Walker (@WalkerATX) August 1, 2012

The Associated Press is calling the Senate race for Ted Cruz. He leads 53.5-46.5% over David Dewhurst with about 15% reporting.

— Waco Tribune-Herald (@wacotrib) August 1, 2012

Freedom is alive in Texas! @tedcruz called as winner in #TXSen. Job well done Texas, congrats @tedcruz! #FreedomWorks

— FreedomWorks (@FreedomWorks) August 1, 2012

With the Ted Cruz victory, a reminder: "The Tea Party movement is dead." – @EricBoehlert of @mmfa, 28 July 2011 http://t.co/EkBQgGHo

— Cuffé (@CuffyMeh) August 1, 2012

PIC 1: @tedcruz watching returns come in showing him leading @davidhdewhurst in the Republican run-off. pic.twitter.com/aRDiPjw7

— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) August 1, 2012

Congrats to Occupy Wall Street for your many victories in peaceful democratic primaries. Oh wait, I spelled Tea Party wrong. #Cruz

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) August 1, 2012

Get ready for headlines to proclaim the GOP is headed to the fringe with @TedCruz winning. Actually, we're just headed back to freedom.

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) August 1, 2012

Per @daveweigel talking about success having 1000 fathers — in Texas EVERYONE worked on the @tedcruz victory. Victory of/by the people.

— Melissa Clouthier (@MelissaTweets) August 1, 2012

I'm not sure what's giving me the bigger smile, that Cruz won or that Obama knows he can't and has called in Clinton.

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 1, 2012

Congratulations to Ted Cruz! This is a victory both for Ted and for the grassroots Tea Party movement. This… http://t.co/dzqJ2hIE

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) August 1, 2012

Just congratulated @tedcruz. Loved his humility & sense of being called to duty even in this exciting time. He is going to be a good one.

— Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) August 1, 2012

And the #sorosmonkeys are off & running to attack @tedcruz ==> http://t.co/rinR9CWM

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) August 1, 2012

Love liberals freaking out about Ted Cruz's nomination as if they'd be any more likely to support Dewhurst.

— Brandon Kiser (@Kiser) August 1, 2012

Give it another minute RT “@anthropocon: Has MSNBC reported on howthe @tedcruz victory is a sign of people's love for Obama yet?” #tcot

— Pants = Tyranny (@ShaneWright22) August 1, 2012

With 50 percent of precincts reporting, Cruz’ lead has widened to 55–45.

Cornyn: I will do everything I can to help elect Ted Cruz in November and look forward to working with him next year.

— JohnCornyn (@JohnCornyn) August 1, 2012

Cruz takes the stage at campaign headquarters at 10:45 p.m. Eastern.

.@TedCruz: "When we started, they said this was impossible. They said I couldn't do it." .. "I couldn't do it, but you could." #txsen

— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) August 1, 2012

"We should take it as a providential sign that today is the 100th birthday of Milton Friedman." — @tedcruz there ya go @RameshPonnuru

— Melissa Clouthier (@MelissaTweets) August 1, 2012

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Previous Twitchy coverage of the Ted Cruz/David Dewhurst showdown here.

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2012/07/31/tea-party-showdown-in-texas-election-night-open-thread/