Ted Cruz Bows Out After Indiana Loss — No Mention of Trump In Concession Speech


Ted Cruz suspended his pursuit of the Republican nomination for president after suffering a double-digit loss in Indiana, his campaign manager told Politico.

Cruz Addresses His Supporters

“God Bless the Hoosier State!” Cruz began to a cheering crowd of supporters. He recited the founding principles of America in the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Cruz spoke about the 1976 convention — the last time the Republicans had a brokered convention. He recalled Reagan’s speech there, where Ronald Reagan spoke of “how future generations would know” if their party had succeeded.

It was a likely reference to the possibility of a brokered convention in 2016, which Cruz had often spoken openly about, especially since he was mathematically eliminated from reaching the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the convention prior to the July convention in Cleveland.

Ted Cruz ends campaign
Ted Cruz ends campaign as wife Heidi looks on. [Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
Cruz spoke highly of Americans who supported his campaign, of “1.5 million contributions, averaging about $60 each.”

But then, Cruz delivered the news his supporters did not want to hear. He said that he was hoping for a path to the Republican nomination.

“Tonight, I’m sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed. Together, we left it all on the field in Indiana. But the voters chose another path.”

“With a heavy heart, but with unbounded optimism…we are suspending our campaign,” Cruz said to boos, and a lone supporter shouting, “No!”

Earlier, Cruz had called Indiana a “pivotal” state, and pundits had suggested it was a must-win state for him — especially after suffering six consecutive losses in northeastern, Trump-friendly states.

Cruz: No Mention of Trump

Cruz did not mention Donald Trump in his speech. Earlier in the morning, Trump told Fox and Friends that Cruz’s father was standing next to Lee Harvey Oswald on the day he assassinated John F. Kennedy in 1963.

Ted Cruz began his campaign for president 13 months ago as an outsider who stood against “the establishment.”

“But what Cruz did not expect — what no one expected — is that he would be outmatched and outstripped in outsider anger by Trump,” Politico said.

Cruz was often criticized for not attacking Trump earlier in the race. And when he did, Trump went after him, calling him “Lyin’ Ted,” a nickname that stuck with the real estate tycoon’s supporters.

Trump also made an issue of the fact that Cruz was born in Canada, and sought to get his name removed from the ballot, albeit unsuccessfully.

The Race As It Stands Now

With Ted Cruz out of the race, Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, sent out a tweet calling for party unity behind Trump, the presumptive nominee.

John Kasich has announced that he will stay in the race, but given that he is so far behind Trump in the delegate count (153, to 1,041 for Trump, with 565 for Cruz), his viability going forward is questionable.

Hillary Clinton is the likely Democratic nominee, as she leads rival Bernie Sanders in the delegate count, 2,165 to 1,357.

Clinton currently leads Trump by 6.2 percent in head-to-head match-ups in the Real Clear Politics average of polls.

What do you think? Did Ted Cruz make the right decision to get out of the race?

[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]

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