According to Decision Desk HQ's projections, former President Donald Trump-backed Alex Mealer won the Republican runoff in Texas's newly redrawn 9th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating state Rep. Briscoe Cain in the closely watched GOP primary, Newsmax reported.

The race was the culmination of a hard-fought primary that narrowed to a two-person runoff after no candidate secured over 50% of the vote in the March primaries.

Mealer, a former Harris County judge candidate and U.S. Army veteran, entered the runoff with Trump's endorsement, while Cain, a state representative from Deer Park, had the backing of Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Republican establishment.

The district near Houston was reconfigured by Republicans into a more conservative seat, and is considered a strong Republican stronghold after being converted from a seat previously represented by Democratic Rep. Al Green.

Republicans expect the district to remain in their column in the November elections due to the new redistricting.

Mealer and Cain campaigned heavily on immigration, border security, and energy issues throughout the election cycle, each seeking to position themselves as the more capable conservative contender heading into the general election.

The runoff result confirms Mealer as the Republican nominee for the district, which is expected to be a relatively safe GOP pickup under the new redistricting map.

NNP Correspondent Sung Ku Hong / Special contribution from NNP info@newsandpost.com