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 Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, dominated the vote in Wisconsin
on Tuesday, a sign that he is increasingly viewed as the main Trump
alternative by those Republicans who cannot bring themselves to
support the billionaire. His win increased the chances of a rare
contested party convention in July.
"What an incredible victory tonight," Cruz said in his victory
speech in Milwaukee, joined by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a
former rival who had endorsed him. "Tonight is a turning point. It
is a rallying cry."
Cruz's victory injected fresh energy into what had been a flagging
anti-Trump movement and showed that Trump has work to do to repair
damage he brought to his campaign with remarks about abortion that
hurt him with Republican women voters.
On the Democratic side, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont
easily defeated front-runner Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin, adding to
Clinton's frustration that she has not been able to put away her
rival and march to the Democratic presidential nomination.
But despite winning six of the last seven states, Sanders still
faces a difficult task to overtake Clinton as the presidential
nominating race moves to New York on April 19 and to five other
Eastern states on April 26. Still, his victory was another sign that
a sizable group of Democrats are not sold on the viability of
Clinton’s candidacy.
For Trump, the pressure is on to respond with some decisive
victories in upcoming states to show he is still on the way to
assembling the 1,237 delegates needed for the Republican
presidential nomination.
Trump was heading to favorable turf in the Northeast and was already
predicting victory in New York. It is now critical that he do well
in these states.
"It's very important for Trump to bounce back strong. The sense of
his inevitability is one of his strengths," said David Yepsen,
director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Center at Southern Illinois
University.
"If he looks weak, others will pile on and some may be tempted to
leave him."
'EVERY DELEGATE COUNTS'
Trump, who had campaigned heavily in Wisconsin, responded to the
defeat with a blistering attack on Cruz, saying he had been aided by
Wisconsin conservative talk show radio hosts and millions of dollars
in ads spent by an anti-Trump SuperPAC, or independent funding
group.
"Ted Cruz is worse than a puppet - he is a Trojan horse, being used
by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination from Mr.
Trump," Trump's campaign said.
Cruz’s victory was a new indication that the Republican race may be
headed toward a contested convention, given the increasingly
difficult path for either Trump or Cruz to put together enough
delegates needed to win the nomination outright.
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If no candidate reaches 1,237, the Republicans’ choice will be
picked when delegates gather for the party’s national convention in
Cleveland in July.
Trump, perhaps sensing a defeat in Wisconsin, retreated to his home
base in New York on Tuesday and planned an event on Long Island on
Wednesday, followed by a West Coast swing, including a news
conference in the Los Angeles area, on Friday.
His campaign is taking steps to reflect greater seriousness of
purpose, with plans for Trump to deliver a series of policy speeches
intended to give him a more presidential image.
"The new Trump campaign needs to properly adjust to this new world
order," said Republican strategist Scott Reed. "And Trump the
candidate needs to embrace message discipline. Every delegate
counts."
From Wisconsin, Cruz will spend two days of campaigning in New York,
proof that he is not going to cede Trump’s home state to his rival.
He will visit a charter school in New York City on Wednesday and
hold a rally at a Christian academy in upstate New York on Thursday.
"Our strategy is what it's always been," said Cruz spokeswoman Alice
Stewart. "To win you have to have majority plus one. That’s what
we’re focused on. No matter what state we’re in, our objective is to
acquire delegates to achieve 1,237."
The Wisconsin primary followed a difficult week for Trump, who was
forced to backtrack after saying women who had abortions should face
punishment if the procedure is outlawed, and who voiced support for
his campaign manager after he was charged with misdemeanor assault
for grabbing a reporter.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll on Tuesday showed Cruz about even with
Trump nationally, as his recent gains mark the first time since
November that a rival has threatened Trump's standing at the head of
the Republican pack.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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