Ted Cruz, the favorite of the Tea Party and likened to Marco Rubio the Republican Senator from Florida, is running against GOP old establishment David Dewhurst the Lt. Governor of the state.

The two will runoff on July 31 to represent the Republican Party in November’s election. Cruz is similar to Rubio, who entered the U.S. Senate last year when he beat former Florida Governor Charlie Crist.

Cruz has received endorsements from Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum and even Sean Hannity. Cruz tries to sell himself as not only fighting against President Obama, but the Republican establishment that includes the deep pocketed Dewhurst.

In Senate primaries recently, the favorites of the tea party defeated incumbents for the GOP in both Nebraska and Indiana. People are now wondering if Texas will be next.

A professor of government at the University of Texas said that a number of counties in Texas are dominated by the tea party, yet they have not taken over completely. He said the runoff would be interesting for the tea party, as the civil war amongst the Republican Party squares off again on July 31 in Texas.

Cruz’s father settled in the area of Houston as an immigrant and Cruz attended high school there. He went on to Princeton University and then Harvard Law School. After clerking for William Rehnquist, the U.S. Chief Justice, Cruz returned to Texas as the state’s solicitor general.

Many feel if Cruz wins the runoff on July 31 that it will send a very strong message to conservative leaders in Washington. One Cruz supporter said the result would terrify not only Texas, but Washington as well.