Cruz Scores in Weekend Primaries, Gains on Frontrunner Trump
- Updated Mar 07, 2016
Saturday’s primary election split Republican votes between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, showing that there may be some opposition among conservatives to backing Trump.
According to Bloomberg, Trump won the Louisiana primary by 41 percent to Cruz’s 38 percent. He won Kentucky by 36 percent to Cruz’s 32 percent.
Cruz, however, won Kansas by 48 percent to Trump’s 23 percent. He also won Main by 46 percent to Trump’s 33 percent.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Governor John Kasich finished third or fourth in the Saturday primaries. Trump has since called for Rubio to drop out of the race.
“Trump is still on the path toward the nomination,” said Ron Bonjean, a Republican political consultant. “But what seems to be clear is that conservatives are turning to Cruz in order to try to stop the front-runner.”
After Saturday’s wins, Trump said he could easily beat Cruz in a matchup between just them.
“I would love to take on Ted one on one,” Trump said.
Said Cruz on defeating Trump: “What we saw on Super Tuesday is what we’re seeing today, which is that there is only one candidate who can and has beaten Donald Trump repeatedly,” Cruz said in a speech on Saturday in Boise, Idaho. “We’re going to win the nomination."
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton won Louisiana, while Bernie Sanders took Nebraska and Kansas in Saturday’s primary election.
Publication date: March 7, 2016
