Tickets for Donald Trump’s Dallas rally are gone

If you didn’t have tickets by Friday to see GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump, you’re probably out of luck.

Around 20,000 free tickets made available for the Monday night rally were gone by Friday afternoon — and before long, tickets started showing up for sale on Craigslist for up to $100 apiece.

“The maximum capacity for the event has been reached,” said Melissa Koehler, American Airlines Center’s marketing director.

But she encouraged people who missed out to keep checking the Ticketmaster website on the off-chance that Trump’s staff offers extra seats.

Trump, the billionaire real estate mogul, is the latest candidate to head to North Texas in the hope of widening support among the state’s Republicans, who head to the polls March 1 for the primary.

He seems to have attracted the most interest of any candidate who has headed here this year.

“He’s formidable,” said Bill Miller, an Austin-based political consultant. “He’s always interesting, and you never know what he’s going to say.

“It’s a new show every day.”

Monday’s events

Trump will hold a rally at 6 p.m. Monday at the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks. Before the event, his critics are expected to gather outside the center for a “Dump the Trump” march and rally.

LULAC and other community groups participating in the opposition rally say they are “against hatemongering and racism.”

Koehler suggests that people attending the Trump event show up early.

Doors will open at 4 p.m., and the rally “will start promptly at 6 p.m.,” she said.

Parking in the center’s lots will cost $10.

GOP race

Two other GOP presidential hopefuls — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz — campaigned in North Texas this month.

Trump came to Texas earlier this summer to tour the border with Mexico and talk about illegal immigration.

Last week, he became the first Republican candidate to draw more than 30 percent support in polls.

On Wednesday night, the crowded field will face off as CNN hosts the second GOP debate.

“He’s here, he’s present and he’s not going away,” Miller said. “He has captured the attention and the imagination of the Republican voting public.

“If you take him out of the equation, and this is a campaign rally for someone else, the viewership and the attendance would be dramatically less. It would be politics as usual.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Tickets for Donald Trump’s Dallas rally are gone."