By Mitch McAndrew
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, whose antiestablishment rhetoric and evangelical appeal secured an Iowa caucus victory in February, has dropped out of the 2016 presidential race.
“I said I would continue on as long as there is a viable path to victory,” Cruz told a crowd of supporters in Indianapolis Tuesday night. “Tonight, I’m sorry to say, that path has been foreclosed.”
The announcement comes after he suffered a crushing loss against Donald Trump in the Indiana primary, effectively removing all doubt whether Trump will be the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.
Despite Cruz’s recent attacks on Trump, the real-estate mogul secured 53.2 percent of the vote in Indiana, trouncing Cruz’s 36.7 percent, according to preliminary results. Trump won all of the state’s 51 delegates. Cruz went after Trump on Monday, calling him a “pathological liar,” a “narcissist,” and a “serial philanderer.”
Last week, Cruz also announced his vice-presidential running mate, Carly Fiorina. Fiorina ran for the GOP presidential nomination before dropping out on Feb. 10, a day after the New Hampshire primary, in which she only garnered 4.1 percent of votes.
Cruz earned the ire of many Iowa establishment Republicans in the run-up to the caucuses. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in late January called for Iowans to oppose Cruz, a staunch opponent of the renewable fuel standard, warning that he could be “very dangerous” to the state.
Iowans did not heed the call, and instead propelled Cruz to a Feb. 1 win with 27.6 percent of the vote.
In addition, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, endorsed Cruz and also was co-chairman of his national committee. Bob Vander Plaats, leader of the Family Leader, also supported Cruz prior to the Iowa caucuses.
At the GOP District Conventions on April 9, Cruz allies strategically snagged 11 out of 12 available slots for delegates to the national convention.
Now, with Cruz out, Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann called for Iowa Republicans to come together in hopes of keeping Democrats out of the White House in November.
“The only movement I’m a part of is the #NeverHillary movement #UnitedIowa,” Kaufmann tweeted following Cruz’s announcement that he would be suspending his campaign.
Iowa radio-show host Steve Deace, however, did not speak about a united party and instead tweeted he would not support the GOP front-runner.
“I won’t congratulate Trump for winning any more then I’d congratulate Saladin for capturing Jerusalem,” Deace said.
