And many said Trump, not the man he has branded “Lyin’ Ted”, has run the most dishonest campaign.
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Though the possibility of Cruz winning the nomination outright is slim, his win in Wisconsin keeps those slim hopes alive.
For Sanders, Wisconsin was favorable territory, with an overwhelming white electorate and liberal pockets of voters.
While Trump is the only Republican with a realistic path to clinching the nomination ahead of the Republican convention, a big loss in Wisconsin would greatly reduce his chances of reaching the 1,237 delegates needed to do so before the GOP gathers in Cleveland.
“Mr. Trump is the only candidate who can secure the delegates needed to win the Republican nomination”, his campaign said.
Kasich campaign manager John Weaver sent out a memo explaining that Trump will probably not get to 1,237 delegates now, opening up the convention floor for a second-ballot Kasich power play.
Sanders would need to win 67 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates to catch up to Clinton. Overall, that was good news for Cruz and Sanders.
Trump planned to hold a rally on Long Island tonight. A third of Wisconsin GOP voters say that if Trump and Clinton are the nominees they’d vote for a third party candidate, stay home or even vote for Clinton. “We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us…to a safe and sane future”, he said.
Mr. Cruz also continued to outmaneuver Mr. Trump at local conventions in Colorado.
US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz speaks during Wisconsin primary night rally at the American Serb Banquet Hall in Milwaukee. It’s Trump’s home state. Kasich cast Trump’s focus on him as a sign that he’s best positioned to win over the businessman’s supporters. Cruz already had come to Wisconsin on an upswing, having done well in Utah and North Dakota and winning the endorsement of Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, a onetime presidential rival. GOP voters also held negative views on the consequences of trade, with more than half saying it has an adverse effect on jobs in the US, according to exit polls conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.
For the first time since 1984, the Wisconsin presidential primary has dealt a blow to the aspirations of a national frontrunner. Of those, just 7 percent backed Trump.
Trump did less well in Wisconsin among groups of voters who have been his core supporters in previous primaries.
The Cruz victory does come with some benefits that might linger.
Here are five videos which show while Trump may be the one making global headlines, Texan Senator Ted Cruz ain’t too different.
But it was not enough.
The Empire State’s Republican primary is winner-take-most, meaning it’s possible for one candidate to walk away with nearly all of its 95 delegates if they top 50-percent in the state’s congressional districts.
Wisconsin was the kind of state – overwhelmingly white, and independents are allowed into party primaries – that Sanders had to win. They framed the primary as a pivotal moment in the push to deny Trump the party’s nomination.
Without the distractions of other candidates, Cruz has done very well against Trump. The governor built intense loyalty from Republican voters here through his battles with the legislature and organized labor, including a brutal recall campaign in 2012 and reelection in 2014. “Or, you could support Ted Cruz on Tuesday”. Cruz said: “Hillary, get ready”.
Readers of The New York Daily News will see a front-page story Wednesday denouncing “Bernie’s Sandy Hook shame”. Heidi Cruz and Fiorina staged their own series of meet-and-greets across the state.
But it was a stark turn for Trump with many demographics he’s typically dominated in past GOP contests so far. Cruz has 474, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich has 145. Four in 10 say they’re scared about Trump as the nominee. But the Vermont Senator told the crowd, momentum is on his side.
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Rucker reported from Washington.
