More than half of the Gauteng delegates who will be at the DA’s federal congress have backed Mmusi Maimane, giving the parliamentary leader a hefty chunk of the vote from the party’s second-largest province.

Of the roughly 1 500 delegates attending next weekend’s congress, 373 come from Gauteng. The party’s largest province in terms of support, the Western Cape, will take 423 delegates.

The third-largest province is the Eastern Cape, followed by KwaZulu-Natal.

Of the 373 from Gauteng, 195 (52%) have pledged their support for Maimane, his campaign manager Geordin Hill-Lewis said on Sunday.

DA Gauteng legislature chief whip Mike Moriarty sent a second letter to Maimane, listing a number of public representatives from the province who said they would vote for him.

Last week, Moriarty sent a letter on behalf of 144 Gauteng delegates endorsing Maimane.

“The Maimane campaign’s own canvassing indicates that many more Gauteng delegates are planning to vote for Mmusi on May 10,” Hill-Lewis said.

“There’s a groundswell of support inside and outside the party for Maimane to become the next leader of the Democratic Alliance.”

Western Cape DA leader Patricia De Lille has publicly endorsed Maimane, as has Eastern Cape leader Athol Trollip, and DA Youth leader Yusuf Cassim.

Trollip will be running for party federal chairperson against Gauteng deputy federal chairperson Makashule Gana and Western Cape MPL Masizole Mnqasela.

The federal congress will be held in Port Elizabeth on May 9 and 10.

The race for DA leader followed an announcement by current head Helen Zille on April 12 that she will not be standing for re-election.

Current federal chairperson Wilmot James is standing against Maimane for the position of leader. It is not clear yet who is endorsing James.

MP David Maynier, who is running James’s campaign, said last week they would make their endorsements public in the last phase of campaigning.

On Friday, Maimane and some of his biggest supporters were the subject of a leaked email detailing alleged sexual misconduct.

Those named in the email were Maimane, Trollip, DA chief whip John Steenhuisen, MP Gavin Davis and DA chief executive officer Paul Boughey.

Speaking on behalf of all DA leaders, including James, Hill-Lewis on Friday said the email was “false and destructive”. News24