The national Tea Party Express held rallies in Texas the past three days drumming up support for a variety of Republican candidates. The Texas primary is May 29. The national Tea Party Express has endorsed Texas GOP candidate for U.S. Senate Ted Cruz.
At a rally Monday in Dallas, Cruz blasted Texas senate front runner Lt. Governor David Dewhurst for ignoring grassroots voters. Cruz thinks Tea Party voters will help him win if he gets into a runoff with Dewhurst.
"I think if we go to a runoff we win decisively. If there’s a runoff it’ll happen on July 31 in the dead of summer. Turnout will drop substantially," Cruz said. "The only people who will show up in the runoff are motivated informed primary voters. And for many months now we have had a double digit lead among informed primary voters."
Political analyst Cal Jillson says Tea Party voters may put Cruz in a runoff with Dewhurst but it’s not likely they’ll make Cruz the next U.S. senator from Texas.
"Dewhurst running 10-12 points ahead of Ted Cruz. So I do think Cruz will make a runoff with Dewhurst. But Dewhurst has been elected statewide four times," Jillson said. "He has a personal fortune north of $200 million dollars and I think he’ll reach into that fortune if he feels like Ted Cruz is coming up on him, so I think Dewhurst is the likely winner."
Now the voters weigh in. Early voting for the May 29 Texas primary begins next week.