Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump filled a hotel ballroom with over 2,000 people for a rally on Wednesday, attracting die-hard supporters as he has in other cities, but was dogged by a rival who is also very popular in South Carolina: Ted Cruz.

A dozen people interviewed by Reuters said the Texas senator offered a strong alternative to the loud-mouthed New York businessman, though more than half still planned to vote for Trump.

“If he doesn’t drop out of the race, I’m definitely going to vote for him,” Daniel Barrett, 48, said of Trump. When asked why he added the caveat about Trump staying in the race, Barrett said: “He might be rallying the troops for someone else, for Cruz.”

Barrett said his ideal presidential ticket would be Trump, with Cruz as his running mate. “I like Donald Trump’s bold, straightforward America theme,” he said. “But Cruz, I think, is very articulate. He’s solid on the issues.”