LIVE UPDATES: Watch the results for tonight's Texas 22nd congressional district primaries

Shayanne Gal/Business Insider

• Five Democrats and 15 Republicans are fighting for their party's nominations to succeed Rep. Pete Olson, who is retiring in 2020.
• Texas' 22nd district has long been a Republican stronghold, but the diverse suburban area has been trending Democratic in recent election cycles.
• Polls in Texas close at 7 p.m. Central Time and 8 p.m. ET.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Polls close in Texas at 7 p.m. Central Time - follow along with results here:

Texas' 22nd Congressional District primary results:

What's at stake in the primary?

With the retirement of incumbent Rep. Pete Olson, five Democrats and 15 Republicans are fighting for their party's nominations in Texas' 22nd congressional district. The open primary is expected to be a competitive race.

Although Texas' 22nd district, located in diverse southern suburbs of Houston, has long been a Republican stronghold now trending Democratic.

While former Republican presidential nominees John McCain and Mitt Romney easily carried the district with over 60% of the vote in 2008 and 2012, Trump won with just 52% of the vote in 2016.

The district is a microcosm of increasing diversity and political re-alignments happening across the country which Democrats hope will forge a path to victory in historically red districts, with the DCCC including Texas' 22nd district it on its list of 2020 target districts.

Who does the polling say is ahead?

Although there are no polls for the competitive primary contest, media coverage and endorsements have been dominated by Democratic candidates Sri Preston Kulkarni and Derrick Reed, according to Ballotpedia. Both candidates have been campaigning on issues like healthcare and the economy.

Kulkarni, a former diplomat who worked as a policy and defense advisor for US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, lost to Rep. Olson in the 2018 midterm elections by just five percentage points. Reed, who worked in Harris County District Attorney's office and was later elected to the Pearland City Council, has campaigned on criminal justice reform.

In the crowded Republican primary race, many believe Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls is the candidate to watch. According to Nehls, who is running on a platform on cracking down on illegal immigration, Fort Bend Country voters make up 70% of Texas' 22nd district, according to Houston Public Media.

Pierce Bush, grandson of former President George H.W. Bush and nephew of former President and Texas Governor George W. Bush is also competing for the GOP nomination, running as a relatively moderate Republican on restoring "compassionate conservatism" to the House.

Texas is a runoff state, meaning that if no one candidate earns over 50% of the vote in a primary, the top two vote-getters will advance to a run-off election on May 26, 2020, to determine the nominee, a likely outcome in such a crowded primary.

Catch up on live coverage from Super Tuesday:

While you wait for Texas results to come in, head over to our main Super Tuesday post to follow all the action.

Follow along with the results of the Democratic presidential primary in Texas, the Democratic primary for US Senate in Texas, and more Texas House primaries.

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