Thousands expected at Wednesday morning Cruz rally in Tulsa

A top contender for the Republican presidential nomination will make his third stop this year in Tulsa Wednesday.

Congressman Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) will host Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas for a Christmas celebration designed to thank U.S. service members who give up their holidays to help make the country safe.

"We're going to celebrate Christmas. We're going to honor the war fighters who give up Christmas so that we can celebrate it. That's really what this event is all about," Rep. Bridenstine told KRMG Tuesday. "We're also going to talk about politics."

No surprise that politics will come up, since Sen. Cruz is in the thick of a hotly-contested race for the GOP nomination.

Sen. Cruz told KRMG during his last visit that Oklahoma plays a pivotal role, because its primary falls on March 1st of 2016 - the so-called "SEC Super Tuesday" which features primaries in several states, most of which are in the southeast quarter of the counry.

Cruz also has a staunch supporter in Rep. Bridenstine who endorsed him early, has never waivered, and is spearheading his campaign in Oklahoma.

Bridenstine hosted another Cruz rally in August, which led to logistical problems when twice as many people showed up than the venue could handle.

That won't be an issue this time, he assured KRMG, saying "we're going to have 4,000 seats, and it's expandable to 7,000 seats."

The event is free, he added, and "anybody 0ut there who is interested in vetting all of these candidates for the presidency, I would highly encourage you to come and hear from the candidate I'm supporting, Ted Cruz."

Event Details for Jim Bridenstine Christmas Celebration with Special Guest Ted Cruz:

• Wed., Dec. 23rd, 2016
• 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• Doors at 8:00 a.m.
• Mabee Center, 7777 S. Lewis Ave., Tulsa