Tulsa County Republicans Hold Local Convention

Now that Super Tuesday has come and gone, Tulsa-area republicans are getting ready for the national convention.

The county Republicans on Saturday held their convention, which is just one step toward getting to Ohio.

With the race neck and neck within the GOP, this year’s RNC could be a battleground.

Delegates at the Tulsa County Republican Convention say it has been an interesting campaign season so far.

“I've been in politics 40 years, and this year is totally different than anything I've ever seen before,” delegate George Wiland said.

Wiland started his involvement with the party during the Reagan campaign and has stayed active ever since.

Wiland wasn’t surprised by Oklahoma’s Super Tuesday results and Ted Cruz taking the win over Donald Trump.

“They really weren't [surprising],” he said. “Oklahoma is a closed primary state which means only Republicans can vote in Oklahoma's primary."

Wiland has been watching the race carefully, along with fellow delegates like Joe Lord, who say this year’s election has people paying attention.

“Every four years we have a good turnout, but this is a pretty strong showing,” Lord said.

The county convention is just one step of several to getting representatives to the Republican National Convention, where the party officially will vote on a Presidential candidate.

"The Tulsa County convention is the second of a four-step process for sending delegates to the national convention that will also include alternate delegates, and there will be an election of presidential electors as well,” Wiland said.

The delegates from here will go on to the district convention and then state, where all 43 will be selected to go on to the RNC in July.

Most years the party stays on the same page and the convention is seen as more of a formality --but this year could be different.

"There's a chance it might be pretty fractured, we'll see,” Lord said.