After two recent polls showed him trailing in the Texas presidential race, Beto O'Rourke Wednesday released a list of 100 Lone Star supporters, including 70 elected officials.

The endorsements, O'Rourke hopes, are a sign that he can win the March Texas primary by tapping into the support base he built as a 2018 Senate candidate.

O'Rourke, the former congressman from El Paso, has been trying to convince primary voters that he is best suited to win the 38 Texas electoral votes and in the process defeat President Donald Trump.

The Democratic Party fight for Texas has intensified, just in time for a prime-time televised presidential debate on Thursday at Texas Southern University.

This week former Vice President Joe Biden and former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro unveiled several Texas endorsements, falling far short from the 100 held by O'Rourke.

O'Rourke's list includes the names of North Texans like Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, state Reps. Ana-Maria Ramos of Richardson, Rhetta Bowers of Rowlett and Jessica Gonzalez of Dallas.

Jenkins said in an interview that O'Rourke would "make a great president."

"And selfishly, I want Texas to be in play," he said, recalling how O'Rourke last year came within 3 points of defeating GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, nearly giving Democrats their first statewide victory in Texas since 1994.

"I've seen firsthand, when he was running last year, the impact that he could have on many other races," Jenkins continued, noting the seats that flipped last year in the U.S. House and Legislature. "The work that he did in the last election resulted in tremendous gains in Dallas County and North Texas."

But O'Rourke may have a tough time holding Texas. Two new polls released today shows he trails Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the Texas presidential race.

Warren on Tuesday staged a heavily attended rally in Austin, and Biden has a Dallas fundraising trip planned this weekend.

O'Rourke has scheduled a rally Sunday in Plano.

Washington correspondent Tom Benning contributed to this report.