Presidential candidate Ted Cruz will hold a rally in Orono Friday, a day before Maine Republicans hold their presidential caucus.

Cruz, a senator from Texas, is trailing behind Donald Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. On Super Tuesday, Cruz won his home state, Oklahoma and Alaska.

The Friday rally is Cruz’s first campaign stop in Maine.

The “Cruzin’ to Caucus Rally” will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Hauck Auditorium at the University of Maine in Orono. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are free and can be reserved through the Eventbrite website.

Cruz’s visit was confirmed by Margaret Nagle, the marketing director for the University of Maine, and Earl Bierman, a local Cruz supporter who is also the chief of staff for the Maine House Republicans.

Maine representatives for Republican candidate U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said Tuesday that neither the Florida senator nor a surrogate had booked a visit to Maine in advance of Saturday’s caucuses. However, that could change now that Cruz is making a stop here.

Cruz and Rubio have emerged as the leading challengers to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, whose populist campaign has confounded the party establishment. Trump has picked up 285 delegates following Super Tuesday’s results, according to RealClear Politics. Cruz has netted 161 and Rubio 87. Ohio Gov. John Kasich has picked up 25 delegates and Ben Carson has won eight. Winning the nomination requires 1,237 delegates. At 23, Maine has a relatively small number of delegates at stake and caucuses here are rarely destinations for major presidential candidates.

In early February, a group of about two dozen state legislators gathered at the State House to announce their support for Cruz, citing the need to change the direction of the country and calling the senator a “true conservative.”

Staff Writer Steve Mistler contributed to this report.

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