Super Tuesday could shape Presidential races

While local races drive much of the March Primary election, the race for party nominations for U.S. President is at a fever pitch as the countdown to Super Tuesday continues.

Tuesday is Election Day. It is also known as Super Tuesday as numerous states and territories hold primaries and caucuses on Tuesday, March 1, including Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming, along with American Samoa and Democrats who are overseas.

The Republican Party has 13 candidates on the ballot this Tuesday, including high profile candidates Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Ben Sanders. Also on the ballot are Mike Huckabee, Chris Christie, John R. Kasich, Rand Paul, Elizabeth Gray, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham and Carly Fiorina.

The Democratic Party has eight candidates on its Presidential ballot, which includes Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, along with Calvis L. Hawes, Keith Judd, Martin J. O'Malley, Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente, Star Locke and Willie L. Wilson.

Despite a second place finish to Cruz in Iowa several weeks ago, Trump is riding a wave of momentum as the Presidential hopeful has won in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and in Nevada this past Tuesday.

Cruz and Rubio have contiunued to battle it out for the Republican nomination as both are trying to keep pace with Trump. Cruz has finished second in two recent contests and Cruz is hoping to pull out a victory in his home state of Texas this Tuesday.

According to Real Clear Politics, in the Texas Republican Presidential Primary poll, Cruz was leading the most recent RCP Poll average at 34.0 percent, while Trump was sitting in second at 26.8 percent and Rubio in third at 18.2 percent.

Meanwhile, in the Texas Democratic Presidential Primary poll, Clinton showed a 59.9 percent poll average over Sanders at 33.6 percent.

Clinton narrowly defeated Sanders in the Iowa Caucus and she claimed victory in Nevada, while Sanders was able to win New Hampshire.