HOUSTON — With less than a month remaining until the Texas primary, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in the state is kicking into high gear.
Paid staff has arrived. Her endorsement list is swelling. And on Thursday morning, the campaign opened its first office here amid much fanfare about the outsize role the March 1 primary is expected to play in the Democratic nominating process.
"The Texas primary will matter this time around," state Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston declared, pausing for emphasis between the words. "We are here because we are opening up a campaign headquarters. You know why? Because we have a campaign in Texas this go around."
By the campaign's own admission, its formal efforts in Texas got off to a slow start. That has changed in recent weeks, starting with the hiring of its first paid staffer, lead organizer Carlos Paz Jr., then a second one, press secretary Carlos Sanchez.
The office opening Thursday morning doubled as the launch of "Houston for Hillary," a group of prominent Democrats from the city backing Clinton. Already backed by every Democratic member of Texas' congressional delegation from Houston, Clinton added an endorsement Thursday by John Whitmire, and now has the support of all three Democratic state senators from the city.
Read the full story from The Texas Tribune.
