Cruz Hoping To Declare Victory In South Carolina Primary
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SOUTH CAROLINA (CBS 11) — When the polls close, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and his supporters are hoping to declare victory in the South Carolina primary.
He should do well in the Palmetto State where 65% of the voters are evangelicals. But this year, the old rules may be wiped out.
Elaine Baker said she really liked Cruz's Christian values, but this year, that's not her top priority. "I voted for Donald Trump because he seemed like he'd do more for the borders and illegals coming in," Baker said.
Jeremiah and Abigail White considered three Republican candidates before making their decision.
"We were thinking about Sen. Cruz and Gov. Bush," Jeremiah White said, "but when it came down to it, and our values and who we think who's going to beat Democrats, we just decided on (Florida Sen. Marco) Rubio."
Jessie and Daniel Dye said they also wanted a Republican who could win in November.
"Being able to work across both sides is very important," Daniel Dye said. "I feel like Rubio will have a better shot at that and at beating the Democratic candidate."
Liza Manuel chose Trump over Cruz. "A lot of my colleagues are voting for Trump as well," Manuel said. "I will say Cruz is the second one, so I think it's really going to be a race between the two of them."
For his part, Cruz said he's enthusiastic about the energetic crowds and his campaign's effort to get out the vote. "What we're doing here on the ground is very much like what we did in Iowa, very much what we did in Texas in the 2012 Senate race, which was a grassroots race," he said.
Cruz has assembled an army of more than 15,000 volunteers in South Carolina, including 100 from Texas.
But Linda Abrams, political science professor at Bob Jones University, said based on the polls, Trump will likely win here — and the real fight will be for second place. "Rubio is making in-roads and he and Cruz are almost tied," Abrams said. "I think for the Cruz campaign, that is a real danger."
Abrams believes Cruz needs to take first or second place to continue his momentum. But the Texas Senator has said he's running a national campaign and is in it for the long haul.
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