PRIMARY RESULTS: CRUZ CLOBBERS TRUMP IN WISCONSIN
Sanders declares victory over Clinton in Badger State
America’s eyes were on Wisconsin Tuesday evening as both political parties held primaries in the state, and the two underdog candidates – Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders – celebrated victories over their parties’ front-runners.
“What an incredible victory tonight,” Cruz said after his win. “And thank you to your tremendous governor, Gov. Scott walker, for his principled, passionate leadership.”
He said Wisconsin is a “turning pint,” “a rallying cry,” and Americans “have a choice, a real choice.”
“Three weeks ago, the media said Wisconsin was a perfect state for Donald Trump,” Cruz said. “So just how significant is tonight? Well just today, our campaign has raised over $2 million. … We’ve had over 1.3 million contributions.
“In the last two weeks, and in the coming days when Colorado and Wyoming finish voting, we are likely to have gained over 100 delegates on Donald Trump. … I’m more and more convinced that our campaign is going to win the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination. Either before Cleveland or at the convention in Cleveland, we will win a majority of the delegates. And together, we will beat Hillary Clinton in November.”
Cruz said, “Tonight was a bad night for Hillary Clinton. It was a bad night in the Democratic primary. And it was an even worse night for her in the Republican primary. We’re winning because we’re uniting the Republican Party.”
He continued, “Tonight, Wisconsin has lit a candle guiding the way forward. Tonight, we once again have hope for the future. Tonight is about unity. And tonight is about hope.”
Cruz promised to repeal Obamacare, stop federal regulations from killing small businesses, pass a flat tax, abolish the IRS, secure the U.S-Mexico border and end sanctuary cities. He also said Americans will “see a Supreme Court that protects their religious liberty” and Second Amendment rights.
He tweeted, “So Hillary, get ready – here we come!”
Wisconsin voters flocked to the polls, where workers reported long lines and larger-than-usual turnouts.
Before the polls closed, Trump told his supporters “[W]e’re going to have a very, very big victory. Very, very big.”
But it wasn’t meant to be, as Cruz enjoyed a healthy lead of 20 points with 42 percent reporting.
Cruz’s victory jeopardizes Trump’s path to 1,237 delegates before the Republican National Convention in July.
Cruz faces far more difficult contests ahead in New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware in coming weeks.
“Just a couple of weeks ago, all of the media commentators were saying Wisconsin was a state that I could not compete and do well,” Cruz told supporters Monday. “They were saying it was a state that was a natural state for Donald Trump. The state historically has been purple or even a blue state at times. It’s a state that is very heavily based in manufacturing, that has a lot of union members and working-class members. Supposedly, it was Donald Trump’s sweet spot, and yet I think the people of Wisconsin, they’re looking at the records of the candidates, and they recognize that Donald screams and yells a lot, but he has no solutions.”
According to exit polls published by ABC News Tuesday:
- Six in 10 Wisconsin GOP voters oppose a contested convention.
- Nearly four in 10 said they’re “scared” of what a President Trump might do while in office.
- Six in 10 are “excited” or “optimistic” about a Cruz presidency.
- Half said they want a president from “outside the political establishment.”
- More than six in 10 favor a path to legal status for illegal immigrants.
- More than four in 10 GOP voters say Cruz has that best shot at defeating Clinton. One-third said Trump has a better chance, and fewer than two in 10 favor Kasich for the job.
- More than half of GOP voters believe Trump has run the most unfair campaign. One-quarter said the same of Cruz.
- A full seven in 10 voters support proposals to temporarily ban non-U.S. Muslims from entering America.
Sanders told his supporters a Wisconsin win will give him momentum needed to take New York, a state Clinton represented in the Senate.
“[W]e are going to have a bounce going into New York State, where I think we can win,” Sanders told supporters in Janesville, Wisconsin. “If we win in New York state, between you and me – I don’t want to get Hillary Clinton any more nervous than she already is. She is already under a lot of pressure. So don’t tell her this, but we win here, we win in New York state. We are on our way to the White House.”
The GOP contest is a winner-take-most primary, meaning the winner of the statewide vote gets 18 delegates, and the remaining 24 delegates are split among winners of each of Wisconsin’s congressional districts.
Wisconsin Republican primary
42 delegates – winner take most
With 42 percent reporting:
Cruz: 51.6 percent
Trump: 31.9 percent
Kasich: 14.2 percent
Wisconsin Democrat primary
96 delegates – proportional
With 43 percent reporting:
Sanders: 54.1 percent
Clinton: 45.6 percent
Copyright 2016 WND
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