The Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders was still too early to call in the Midwestern state, but early voting results showed the former secretary of state with a razor-thin lead against her rival.
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Overall, half of Republican voters say they feel betrayed by their own party leaders, but only a third agree with Trump’s criticism that the GOP nomination process has been unfair. “We need to unite”. Now is his opportunity. Former House speaker John Boehner, one of many GOP lawmakers who dislike him, described the Texas senator as “Lucifer in the flesh”, while critics in the basketball-crazy Hoosier State mocked Cruz for describing a hoop as a “ring”.
Donald Trump echoed that idea in his victory speech from New York City.
At his victory speech Tuesday, Trump was complementary towards Cruz, despite claiming Cruz is a liar for much of the campaign.
MADISON (WKOW) – ABC News has projected Donald Trump the victor of Tuesday’s Indiana Republican Primary.
“We have to accept reality and the people have spoken and when the people have spoken you have to go with their wishes”, Gugino said.
She and Trump now plunge into a six- month battle for the presidency, with the future of America’s immigration laws, health care system and military posture around the world at stake.
The Chairman of the Republican Party, Reince Priebus, conceded Mr Trump was now his party’s “presumptive nominee” on Twitter, saying the party needed to “unite and focus on defeating Hillary Clinton”.
As the vote returns flowed in, Cruz announced that he has ended his campaign in Indianapolis, with his wife, Heidi, at his side.
“I’ve said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight I’m sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed”, said Cruz. “We gave it everything we got, but the voters chose another path”, Cruz added, with groans coming from the audience.
Mr Trump has to win the 1,237 delegates required to secure the nomination but with only OH governor and long-shot contender John Kasich left in the race, that now appears a foregone conclusion.
But the Vermont Senator used his public performances in IN to highlight what he says are stark differences on trade. He praised Cruz’ decision to leave the race. Cruz told IN supporters. But he was sure of one thing: “I will not vote for Trump”. A total of 1,237 delegates are required to win the GOP nomination. Mr Cruz practically took up residence in the state for the past two weeks.
That means based on primaries and caucuses to date, Clinton now has 1,682 and Sanders has 1,361.
Trump called on the party to unify following Cruz’s departure.
Cruz began as one of a handful of “outsider” candidates who had hoped to ride an anti-Washington mood to the nomination. He is a tough, smart guy.
If you were looking for drama in the Republican race in IN, the networks took that off the table at 7 p.m. ET, declaring Donald Trump the victor as soon as all the polls were closed.
Cruz had been counting on a win in Tuesday’s primary to slow the NY businessman’s progress toward the nomination. The state’s open primary stands to help both Trump and Sanders, who have attracted independent voters throughout the campaign.
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Cruz and Kasich are trying to prevent Trump from securing the majority of delegates he needs to win the nomination on the first ballot at the July convention in Cleveland.
