HOUSTON, Feb. 25 (UPI) — The intense rivalry between GOP presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz will play out on the stage tonight in Cruz’s home state as candidates meet to debate for the last time before the Super Tuesday primaries.
Trump is coming off three wins in a row in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. And while polls shows Cruz may have the home turf advantage over Trump in Texas, his lead is small — just 7 percent, according to the 30-day Real Clear Politics average of all polls.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who came in second in Nevada and South Carolina, will likely make the case that he is more “electable” in the general election than either Trump and Cruz. As Rubio has outperformed polls in early voting states, establishment Republicans have lined up behind him.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, under pressure from Republican leaders to leave the race, will likely continue to make his case based on experience. Look for him to contrast himself — a governor, former congressman, budget chairman and state senator — with first-term senators Cruz and Rubio, and political outsiders Trump and Dr. Ben Carson.
Carson has vowed to keep hanging on despite polling at just 7.5 percent nationally, according to the Real Clear Politics average. As his staff shrinks and money dries up, the retired neurosurgeon continues to push through to the Republican National Convention in July.
Both Kasich and Carson have made it clear that they don’t plan to go anywhere.
Fourteen states hold their primaries on March 1, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming.
Thursday’s debate in Houston, Texas, is sponsored by CNN and will be live streamed on CNN.com. It begins at 8:30 p.m. ET.
