LUBBOCK, Texas -
The Republican State Convention is kicking off in Cruz country with a New York real estate mogul seemingly having a stranglehold on the national party. Lubbock conservatives say they need more from Donald Trump before they back him.
"We may be more divided right now than we've been in a long time," said Sondra Ziegler, a state convention delegate vying for a delegate seat at the national convention.
She said she was "devastated" when true conservative Ted Cruz dropped out of the race.
"We worked really hard for him you know phone banking and just doing the things you do to try and get him across the finish line," Ziegler said. "We were thrilled that we had a real conservative who not only had the right message but also had a real grown game."
That's why Ziegler said Cruz isn't ceding his influence over Texas' conservative base.
"I think Senator Ted Cruz's purpose is in saying that he wanted to hold on to his delegates is to have influence at the convention and I think he should have a lot of influence over the platform, over the rules through those delegates because conservatives aren't taking their ball and going home. We're a very important part of this party and we intend to have our voice's heard at the national convention," she said.
Carl Tepper, Lubbock Republican Party Chairman and a Trump supporter, says it's important to remember Cruz didn't have the state's full support.
"This was definitely Ted Cruz country and Ted Cruz is very popular here but Ted Cruz did not pass 50 percent in any county in Texas," Tepper said. "Even the Texas Republicans are a little bit split. Some people are a little split to Marco Rubio, some people like Kasich. There's a big Trump contingent so we'll see how this plays out at the state convention."
Ziegler says she and other conservatives still need Trump to prove himself to true right-wingers before or if they fall in line.
"I tell you there's a whole lot of people who can't get behind Donald Trump at this point," Ziegler said. "We're still waiting to see if he's going to embrace conservative positions."
Tepper said he expects Cruz country to fall in line once Trump starts campaigning against the Democrats.
"I think when you see Donald Trump start campaigning against Hillary Clinton, I think you're going to find the Republican Party of Texas turn around real fast. I think they're going to appreciate how fiercely he attacks, how passionately he's able to bring along supporters," Tepper said.
Ziegler said she hopes for compromise from Trump in order to protect the party's future.
"If he doesn't espouse more conservative issues to unite the party, if he doesn't come our way, I think Donald Trump could keep the party so divided that really we don't win if he wins," she said "That our party being identified with Donald Trump could have long term very damaging effects for decades."
The convention runs through Saturday in Dallas.
