Donald Trump

Presidential Politics to Shift Toward Texas Approaching Super Tuesday

Texas is largest Super Tuesday state

Expect presidential politics to surge in Texas as the March 1 Super Tuesday primary approaches.

Texas is the biggest of 12 states conducting primary contests that day. Republicans have 155 political convention delegates up for grabs and they're awarded proportionate to a candidate's share of the vote, not winner-take-all.

"If they can come in and get a few delegates, then that's more delegates than they had before," said Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Wade Emmert. "So I think you're going to see all those contenders come to Texas, wanting the prize, but really wanting some of our delegates."

Individual primary results in the 36 Texas Congressional Districts determine 108 of the 155 Texas delegates.

"Think of it as 36 little presidential campaigns throughout Texas," Emmert said. "So you have to have a ground-game to hit that many congressional districts. But if you're organized, there's something to be gained here."

Candidates will start shifting resources soon to run all those campaigns, according to Southern Methodist University political science expert Cal Jillson.

"People should be building their support structure in Texas, opening offices, hiring people, getting their presence on the ground to let Texans know that they're interested in their vote," Jillson said. "We're not going to see the kind of attention Iowa got, but we should get a good bit of attention being the big kid on the block."

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, left Iowa with a caucus victory over Donald Trump, but Jillson said some Republican leaders are still not sold on Cruz.

"The establishment is very worried about Cruz. They think he would not only lose, but also lose the senate for them," Jillson said.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL, could be an establishment choice after a strong third-place finish in Iowa.

"Nobody expected him to be just a few points behind Donald Trump," Emmert said. "This is going to be a big shot in the arm for his campaign."

Rubio announced a Texas leadership team Tuesday, including former Texas State Rep. Linda Harper Brown, R-Irving, and former Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Jonathan Neerman.

Democrats have 252 Texas convention delegates available in the Super Tuesday primary.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-VT, finished in a virtual tie with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Iowa.

"The fact that it was a wash, a completely even race, was good for Bernie," Jillson said.

Sanders has a Dallas campaign office open. Clinton has strong support from one of the top Dallas Democrats, the county's chief executive, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

"I'm confident that she will prevail and have overwhelming success, particularly here in Texas on Super Tuesday," Jenkins said.

Three other states have primary elections in the next few weeks before Super Tuesday: New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

Jillson said the big Texas Super Tuesday push will come after those other states, once candidates see how much money they have left and who is still in the race.

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