Changes

* The Tea Party once again played a role in elections in 2012, responsible for [[Richard Mourdock]]'s defeat of long-term incumbent [[RINO]] [[Richard Lugar]] and [[Ted Cruz]]'s defeat of entrenched establishment Lieutenant Governor [[David Dewhurst]] in Republican primaries and Governor [[Scott Walker]]'s winning his recall election.

* The Tea Party once again played a role in elections in 2012, responsible for [[Richard Mourdock]]'s defeat of long-term incumbent [[RINO]] [[Richard Lugar]] and [[Ted Cruz]]'s defeat of entrenched establishment Lieutenant Governor [[David Dewhurst]] in Republican primaries and Governor [[Scott Walker]]'s winning his recall election.

* Republican Majority Leader, [[Eric Cantor]], loses primary to [[David Brat]], a TEA Party candidate, in June 2014.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/eric-cantor-faces-tea-party-challenge-tuesday/2014/06/10/17da5d20-f092-11e3-bf76-447a5df6411f_story.html Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor succumbs to tea party challenger Dave Brat], [[Washington Post]], June 11, 2014.</ref>

* Republican Majority Leader, [[Eric Cantor]], loses primary to [[David Brat]], a TEA Party candidate, in June 2014.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/eric-cantor-faces-tea-party-challenge-tuesday/2014/06/10/17da5d20-f092-11e3-bf76-447a5df6411f_story.html Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor succumbs to tea party challenger Dave Brat], [[Washington Post]], June 11, 2014.</ref>

* In the 2014 elections in [[Texas]], the Tea Party made large gains, with numerous Tea Party favorites being elected into office, like [[Dan Patrick (politician)|Dan Patrick]] as Lieutenant Governor,<ref name="Holdssway">{{cite news | last1=Fernandez | first1=Manny | title=Lieutenant Governor Loses Texas Runoff as Tea Party Holds Sway | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/us/politics/tea-party-favorite-beats-lieutenant-governor-in-texas.html | date=May 27, 2014 | publisher=[[The New York Times]] | accessdate=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>Koppel, Nathan (January 21, 2015) - [http://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-moves-quickly-to-advance-conservative-agenda-1421883867 "Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Moves Quickly to Advance Conservative Agenda"]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved April 2, 2015.</ref> [[Ken Paxton]] as Attorney General,<ref name="Holdssway"/><ref name="Grissom">Grissom, Brandi. [http://www.texastribune.org/2014/05/28/tea-party-conservatives-win-top-gop-runoff-contest/ Tea Party Conservatives Win Top GOP Runoff Contests], ''[[Texas Tribune]]'', May 28, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2015.</ref> in addition to numerous other candidates.<ref name="Grissom"/>

* In the 2014 elections in [[Texas]], the Tea Party made large gains, with numerous Tea Party favorites being elected into office, like [[Dan Patrick]] as Lieutenant Governor,<ref name="Holdssway">{{cite news | last1=Fernandez | first1=Manny | title=Lieutenant Governor Loses Texas Runoff as Tea Party Holds Sway | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/us/politics/tea-party-favorite-beats-lieutenant-governor-in-texas.html | date=May 27, 2014 | publisher=[[The New York Times]] | accessdate=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>Koppel, Nathan (January 21, 2015) - [http://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-moves-quickly-to-advance-conservative-agenda-1421883867 "Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Moves Quickly to Advance Conservative Agenda"]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved April 2, 2015.</ref> [[Ken Paxton]] as Attorney General,<ref name="Holdssway"/><ref name="Grissom">Grissom, Brandi. [http://www.texastribune.org/2014/05/28/tea-party-conservatives-win-top-gop-runoff-contest/ Tea Party Conservatives Win Top GOP Runoff Contests], ''[[Texas Tribune]]'', May 28, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2015.</ref> in addition to numerous other candidates.<ref name="Grissom"/>

*In the 2015 Kentucky gubernatorial election, [[Matt Bevin]], a Tea Party favorite who challenged [[Mitch McConnell]] in the Republican primary in the 2014 Kentucky Senate election,<ref>{{cite news|last=Trinko|first=Katrina|title=Kentucky's Ted Cruz?|url=http://nationalreview.com/article/354652/kentuckys-ted-cruz-katrina-trinko|accessdate=November 5, 2015|newspaper=National Review|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> won with over 52% of the vote, despite some fears by the GOP establishment that he was too extreme for the state.<ref name="Sweat">http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/31/us/politics/gop-eyes-kentucky-governorship-but-candidate-is-making-the-party-sweat.html</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/us/kentuckys-next-governormatt-bevin-rode-in-on-outsider-status.html?_r=0</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/04/us/republican-wins-governors-race-in-kentucky.html</ref> Bevin is the second Republican in 44 years to be [[Governor of Kentucky]].<ref name="Sweat"/>

*In the 2015 Kentucky gubernatorial election, [[Matt Bevin]], a Tea Party favorite who challenged [[Mitch McConnell]] in the Republican primary in the 2014 Kentucky Senate election,<ref>{{cite news|last=Trinko|first=Katrina|title=Kentucky's Ted Cruz?|url=http://nationalreview.com/article/354652/kentuckys-ted-cruz-katrina-trinko|accessdate=November 5, 2015|newspaper=National Review|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> won with over 52% of the vote, despite some fears by the GOP establishment that he was too extreme for the state.<ref name="Sweat">http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/31/us/politics/gop-eyes-kentucky-governorship-but-candidate-is-making-the-party-sweat.html</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/us/kentuckys-next-governormatt-bevin-rode-in-on-outsider-status.html?_r=0</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/04/us/republican-wins-governors-race-in-kentucky.html</ref> Bevin is the second Republican in 44 years to be [[Governor of Kentucky]].<ref name="Sweat"/>