This post was written by our AJC colleague Shannon McCaffrey, who is in Houston to cover the final debate before Super Tuesday:
Here are five things viewers should be looking for in tonight's Lone Star showdown set to air at 8:30 p.m. on CNN:
The anti-Trump argument: Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have been trading sharp elbows as they jockey for second place behind Donald Trump. And the stakes have never been higher with the round of votes in Georgia and about a dozen other states set for Tuesday. Will they continue to eviscerate each other or turn on the frontrunner?
Telemundo and Trump: The Spanish language network Telemundo is co-sponsoring the debate and it's a near certainty sparks will fly with Trump, who has made illegal immigration and building a wall along the border with Mexico cornerstones of his campaign. Remember when Trump ejected Univision anchor Jorge Ramos from an event last year? Trump also scolded a Telemundo reporter on a trip to the Texas border town of Laredo last year.
John and Ben Who? John Kasich and Ben Carson's poll numbers have been languishing in the single digits, prompting calls from some in the GOP for them to exit the race and make room for a clearer alternative to Trump. Will they get a desperately-needed boost? Or will they struggle for air time in what has effectively become a three-man race?
Local Boy Makes Good: The debate is in Houston - Ted Cruz's back yard. But will the Texas senator benefit from some kind of home field advantage? He needs a bump after disappointing third place finishes in both South Carolina and Nevada. Texas - with it's 155 delegates up for grabs on Monday - is widely viewed as a must win for Cruz. And polls show a tightening race with Trump.
The race for evangelicals: Many of the states voting Monday have heavy concentrations of evangelical voters. Expect to hear the candidates appeal to those voters with references to family values and socially-conservative issues, like abortion. Trump - the thrice-married, casino-building New York real estate mogul - won those voters in South Carolina. His rivals may come at him harder this time to try to raise doubts among the faithful.
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