While prominent Texans back Trump, this former Fort Worth mayor explains support for Haley

Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price is all in on Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, despite other prominent Texas Republicans putting their support behind former President Donald Trump.

Haley is visiting Texas ahead of the March 5 Republican primary, a trip that includes a stop in Dallas for a Thursday evening campaign rally at Gilley’s Dallas’ South Side Music Hall at 7 p.m. She’s also making stops in Houston and San Antonio.

Price, who served as mayor for a decade after being elected in 2011, sees Haley as smart, innovative and committed — more of a public servant than a politician, and someone who isn’t constantly followed by drama. Price lost to Tim O’Hare in the 2022 Republican primary for Tarrant County judge.

She plans to attend the Dallas event and has campaigned for Haley. A photo posted on X shows Price donning a fluffy pink feather boa while phone banking at the Iowa Caucus, red “Pick Nikki” signs taped to desks in the room.

“I think Texas Republicans are always looking for a good conservative, and I think the party’s pretty split,” Price said in an interview with the Star-Telegram. “I think there are some who are way over on the right who are looking only for their very, very staunch views, and I think a large percentage of the party that’s not as vocal as they probably should be is looking for somebody who can be a steady hand and can serve for eight years.”

(Trump, having served a term already, is limited to one more four-year term as president.)

Asked if it’s important that primary voters have an alternative to Trump, Price noted that Trump could eventually be a convicted felon. Trump has been charged in four felony cases: One in Washington, D.C., where he’s accused of working to overturn the 2020 election, one in Georgia where he’s accused of election interference, one in Florida related to his handling of classified documents and one in and one in New York related to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

“Even though I feel certain some of this is political, he’s going to have lots of baggage,” Price said. “And, again, I’m just really not sure we need somebody that’s got all that baggage.”

Age is also an issue, Price said. Trump is 77.

“I mean, I’m older,” said Price, who is 74. “I wouldn’t want to be serving right now.”

Price expressed confidence in Haley’s ability to handle border security, citing her experience as an ambassador to the United Nations.

“She’ll stand up to people, for America, but she can also work with people without giving in and compromising her values,” Price said, adding that she likes Haley’s stance on “nearly everything.”

Trump gets prominent Texas endorsements

Ahead of the March primary, Trump has the support of several prominent Texas Republicans.

Trump began his reelection campaign in March in Waco, announcing a slew Texas lawmakers who are on his “Texas Elected Leadership Team.” They include U.S. Reps. Roger Williams, Michael Burgess and Beth Van Duyne, as well as Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

U.S. Sen. Cruz, who is friends with Florida Gov. and former presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, endorsed the former president in January following the Iowa caucuses.

Later that month came U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s endorsement.

“I have seen enough,” Cornyn said in a post on X. “To beat Biden, Republicans need to unite around a single candidate, and it’s clear that President Trump is Republican voters’ choice.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has too endorsed Trump, following notable absences at some of the Trump’s Texas events, such as the Waco rally. Abbott’s endorsement came during a November trip to Edinburg with Trump.

“We need a president who’s going to secure the border,” Abbott said, according to the Associated Press. “We need Donald J. Trump back as our president of the United States of America.”

That’s their choice, Price said.

“I can’t judge what anybody’s doing with their own personal choices, just like I don’t want them to judge me,” she said. “I think that’s the beauty of our country and our state. We have a right to express our opinion and make our choices and still get along about them. Still be considered a conservative, because we are. We’re for smaller government, secure borders, the major things Republicans always stand for.”

Will Nikki Haley make it to Super Tuesday?

And then there’s the question of whether Haley will drop out before Super Tuesday on March 5.

Recent polls have her losing to Trump in South Carolina’s Republican primary on Feb. 24.

“She’s a known quantity in South Carolina, and people are signaling that they don’t intend to voter for her,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University.

A recent University of Houston poll authored by Jones and others found that Trump has a 61 percentage point lead over Haley among likely Republican primary voters in Texas.

Trump has raised $7.2 million in Texas to Haley’s $4 million, Federal Election Commission records show.

“I think there’s a reasonable prospect by the time we get to March 5, Nikki Haley is no longer in the race and Donald Trump has a clear shot,” Jones said, adding that he doubts Trump will clinch the delegate votes needed to secure the Republican nomination on Super Tuesday but will be close.

But Price thinks Haley will stay in the race. Texans deserve a choice come Super Tuesday, she said.

“I think she realizes, even though all the polls show its Trump country, that there’s a awful lot of people here who are not happy with him being the sole candidate,” Price said. “I also think its way too early in the primary process for us to narrow this down to just one person.”

If Trump is the Republican Party nominee, Price said she will support him.

“I always back the Republican candidates, but we’re not to that point yet,” she said.