In the end, the Tea Party's upstart candidate couldn't do anything but blow hot air at the Perry Express.

Incumbent Gov. Rick Perry rode his powerful political machine to a victory in a fierce Republican gubernatorial primary, setting up a showdown with former Houston mayor Bill White for the state's highest office. Kay Bailey Hutchison conceded to Perry when the returns indicated that Perry will secure the more than 50 percent of the vote he needs to avoid a runoff.

Falling into a runoff would have been a blow to Perry - and the presence of Tea Party candidate Debra Medina had some political analysts feeling the vote could be split enough three ways for it to happen.

Perry seemed to dismiss that notion in his victory speech, bringing up other recent Republican national wins and declaring that his own victory had ramifications beyond Texas. "Conservatism has never been stronger," Perry said.

Still, Medina refuses to concede, saying she will wait until the final vote is tallied and it's 100-percent certain that Perry secured the magic number of more than 50 percent.

The governor courted Tea Party voters himself in this race and the fact Perry had been an early recognizer of the movement helped him avoid a runoff.

The latest poll results (with 95 percent of the districts reporting) have Perry with 51 percent of the vote, compared with 30 percent for Hutchison and 18 percent for Medina. Perry only needs 50 percent plus one vote.

In Austin, Perry supporters partied like it was never in doubt at an elaborate spread that included plenty of barbecue and marshmallows. Perry held his party at a barbecue restaurant rather than the traditional, staid hotel ballroom setting.