South Dakota is in an unusual position because it became one of the first states to name its full slate of convention delegates over the weekend — a move that immediately plunged it into a three-way tug of war between the remaining presidential candidates.

Trump and Cruz opted against sending their own envoys into the South Dakota fray. But all three campaigns have been mobilizing staff and preparing for a nationwide organizing battle to ensure that their own loyalists win elections to become delegates to the convention. The campaign with the most success in this shadow campaign is likely to have an edge should the national convention become a once-in-a-generation floor fight among delegates.

For now, Cruz can take heart that even if South Dakota votes for Trump in June — binding nearly all 29 delegates to back the New York billionaire on the first ballot — the delegates signaled they’re with him at heart.

“I have a preference for Cruz” said Matt Bruner, a Republican precinct chairman from White, S.D. “Right now, seeing Kasich in there – Kasich is in the race for nothing other than a hope and prayer … It’s very, very much a Cruz delegation.”