N. Texas Republicans Head To GOP Convention in Cleveland
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DALLAS (CBS11) - Hundreds of North Texans are packing their bags and headed to the political conventions.
Democrats gather later this month in Philadelphia, while Republicans meet next week in Cleveland.
Linda Patterson of Grand Prairie is bound for the GOP convention.
She's a delegate who supports Donald Trump wholeheartedly. "I'm very, very, very, very excited about this convention. We need leadership and I believe that's what Donald Trump is going to give us."
Now, it's Trump and his choice for VP, Indiana Governor Mike Pence.
Wayne Richard, a Trump supporter who lives in Plano, likes Trump's pick. "I think it was a very good selection."
Richard says Pence, who endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz before Trump, is a true conservative. "They'll see that we selected a strong Christian, which should answer and alleviate some of the concerns they had. He's a conservative because of the legislation he's put through as a Governor and of course, while he was in Congress as well."
George Flint is Collin County's Republican Party Chairman and is also a delegate to the convention.
He's pledged his support to Cruz but says he'll eventually back Trump. "Once he shows he has a majority of the delegates, I'm on board and I'm on board immediately. But until that happens, I support Ted Cruz."
Still he expects Trump to become the nominee, and he disagrees with the Never Trump movement. "I hope the entire party will be supporting our nominee. The country is at stake."
Linda Patterson agrees. "Donald Trump has won it, not the Republican Party, and so we get behind him or we give it over to the Democrats, that's just the bottom line there."
Flint says Trump has brought a lot of people to the Republican party.
During the March primary this year, Collin County had 116,605 voters in the Republican primary.
Flint says among them were 30,000 people who had never voted in a primary before, and he credits Trump with attracting them.
Flint says the previous high was in 2010 when 56,581 voters took part in the primary.
So who's not going to the GOP convention?
Neither President Bush, or anyone from the Bush family.
Past GOP nominees Mitt Romney and John McCain aren't going either.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott was scheduled to attend, but isn't going because he's still recuperating from 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his legs and feet.
Jack Fink is headed to both the GOP and Democratic conventions.
His reports begin Monday on CBS 11.
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