Cruz Campaign Hires Texas State Director

The presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has hired a Texas state director to help deliver a home-state victory for the Republican candidate.

Tyler Norris, who most recently worked for state Sen. Konni Burton of Colleyville, will lead Cruz's efforts in the Lone Star State, according to the campaign. Norris, who has also been involved in legislatives races, was an aide to Cruz during his 2012 Senate campaign.

Norris is specifically helping organize a "Cruz Texas Strike Force," a group of volunteers from Texas that the campaign plans to send to Iowa as the caucuses get closer. In an email to supporters Wednesday morning, Norris wrote the force will help "identify, win over and deliver voters" for Cruz in December and January.

Norris' hire is the latest move by Cruz's Houston-based campaign to tap into his home-field advantage, especially with Texas having a bigger role than usual in the 2016 nominating process. Last month, the campaign unveiled the endorsement of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as well as that of several major donors to former Gov. Rick Perry, who dropped out of the 2016 race in September.