Texas a handful for Democrat strategists

Political analysts believe appealing to a wide demographic will be key to winning the Democratic presidential primary in the widely diverse state of Texas.

While the Lone Star State has a conservative frontier image, The New York Times noted major cities such as Houston have large ethnic populations while Hispanics play a huge role along the border.

The differences mean Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have their hands full in a statewide race.

It's like running a national campaign, said Garry Mauro, state director for Clinton. There are no similarities between Amarillo and Brownsville and Beaumont and Texarkana and El Paso and Austin and Houston and Dallas. These are very separate demographic groups with very diverse interests.

The Times also noted Texas delegates are parceled out based on voter turnout, which could increase the stakes in major urban areas.

Recent polls see the Texas primary as a close race that could make or break the Clinton campaign. Obama has erased much of the New York senator's early lead.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International