Clinton, Cruz win presidential primaries in Texas

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democrat Hillary Clinton have won the presidential primaries in Texas.
 
The Texas primary was the first win for Cruz during the group of Super Tuesday contests. It was followed by a second victory in neighboring Oklahoma.

Clinton earned her latest win in the string of contests known as Super Tuesday. She has also won the Democratic primaries in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia, putting her ahead of her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has won the race in his home state of Vermont.
 
Texas is home to the largest number of delegates up for grabs in both parties on Super Tuesday.

Clinton was a heavy favorite in Texas. She locked up endorsements from many of the state's top Democrats and also carried the state in 2008 over Barack Obama.
 
Texas isn't a winner-take-all primary. Bernie Sanders is on track to get a sliver of the 222 delegates at stake but didn't compete like the Vermont senator had done in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Anecdotal evidence suggested strong turnout throughout North Texas in the Republican primary, with steady but not as large turnout for Democrats.

Clinton is seen by some Democratic voters in Dallas as the best candidate by virtue of her political experience. Sara Mosher, a doctoral student at SMU, says she voted for Clinton because the former secretary of state and U.S. senator has "the most knowledge of what it's like to be president."

Mosher says a Bernie Sanders presidency would not be effective, but she wants the Vermont senator to remain in politics because he has an important message.

Karen Lahrman, a 57-year-old paralegal in Dallas, says she, too, voted for Clinton and said it's time for a woman president. She says Clinton is the one with the most experience and "knows what she's doing."

Sandi Garrett has never voted for a Democrat but says she would in November if Donald Trump locks up the Republican nomination -- even if that means choosing Hillary Clinton. On Tuesday, the church employee from Dallas tried to make sure she doesn't have to. She voted for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in the GOP primary because -- as she put it -- he was the least offensive choice.

"I'm very upset with the way the race is going and how people are listening to Trump and thinking that he could possibly be a decent president," she said. "I just am floored that people that I've known all my life that are very conservative could think anything he's saying could ring true."

A FOX4 poll conducted Sunday showed Cruz with an 11 point lead over Trump, 36 percent to 25 percent. Rubio was in third with 19 percent. Polls showed Texas was the only Republican state on Super Tuesday where Trump was trailing.