Oklahoma GOP Primary Race Starting To Heat Up

With a week to go in the fight for the Republican nomination, things are heating up in Oklahoma and across the country.

GOP candidates were in Nevada Tuesday for the state’s Republican caucus. Donald Trump is once again is leading field with 26 points according to the latest CNN/ORC poll.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz is sitting third after with 17 percent of the vote a disappointing loss in South Carolina last week. Cruz has come under fire from both Trump and Rubio for what they've called dirty tricks since Cruz claimed Ben Carson was dropping out of the race in Iowa.

“This guy Cruz lies more than any guy I know,” Trump said at a rally Tuesday morning.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio is in second place in Nevada. Most analysts agree he needs a win in that state. He is the only candidate in the front of the pack yet to win a primary or caucus.

Rubio’s campaign has been seeing some success lately after coming in second in South Carolina and his voting base was given a boost after Jeb Bush dropped out last weekend.

In Oklahoma, the candidates are looking to make the primary a true fight. Trump is in the lead with just over 30 percent of the vote. Cruz is at 25 percent and Rubio is in third 21 percent according to the latest News9/SoonerPoll results.

Local campaigns for Trump and Rubio said they plan to call likely voters and put out signs ahead of the primary. The Cruz campaign did not return calls. One staffer for Trump said those in the campaign “feel pretty good”.

Both Trump and Rubio are scheduled to visit Oklahoma City on Friday this week. That's just one day after the last GOP debate before Super Tuesday.

Rubio will be speaking at the Chevy Bricktown Events Center at 2 p.m. That'll be his first public event in Oklahoma since announcing he was running.

Trump will be speaking at the Cox Convention center at 6 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m. That visit will be Trump’s third time in Oklahoma since his announcement.

Rubio, who may be the establishment's last hope to take down Donald Trump, has been doing a lot in the Sooner State. He recently announced former Devon Energy CEO Larry Nichols will be an advisor on energy and garnered an endorsement from former Governor Frank Keating. 

Rubio also started running the first Republican ad in Oklahoma where he takes some swings at his in-party rivals calling Trump “erratic” and describing Cruz as “underhanded”

The Oklahoma Primary is on Mar. 1.