Trump had endorsed Jackson, a Texas native, while Winegarner had the support of outgoing District 13 representative Mac Thornberry, who announced last year that he would not be running for reelection. The district is very conservative and was run by Trump for more than 60 points. As a result, the Republican candidate is well positioned to keep the seat in the hands of the Republican Party in the November general election.
Jackson, a retired admiral, retired from the Navy in December 2019, shortly before running to run for the congressional seat.
During his career, Jackson, who also served as a White House physician during the Obama administration, embraced the right-wing conspiracy, promoted by Trump without evidence, that then-President Barack Obama spied on the Trump campaign, a move that angered some of the Obama Aides who had served alongside him in the White House.
In March, Jackson finished second in the 15-person GOP field, far behind Winegarner.
This story has been updated with additional developments on Tuesday.
CNN’s Simone Pathe and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
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