Ted Cruz suspended his presidential campaign on Tuesday night after losing in the Indiana Primary. This decision did not come as a surprise as Indiana was his last chance to stop Donald Trump from receiving the minimum amount of delegates needed to become the Republican nominee.
Ted Cruz, at this point, had no prospect of becoming the Republican Nominee through the traditional primary process. He was hoping for an open convention, which happens when no candidate receives the minimum number of delegates, where he could have secured delegates not previously pledged to him and come out as the nominee.
With the loss in Indiana, Trump will most likely secure the minimum number of delegates needed to secure the nomination, especially given his projected win in California. There is no reason for Cruz to stay in the race at this point.
“From the beginning I’ve said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, I’m sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed,” Cruz said during a Tuesday night speech. “The voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign.”
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/03/ted-cruz-suspends-campaign.html
The Republican Nominee must hit the threshold of 1,237 delegates out of the 2,472 available throughout the Primary process. Trump currently has 1,047 delegates.
John Kasich, the only remaining contender to Trump, is staying in the race until Trump has secured the minimum number of delegate, with the intention of making it to an open convention.
“Tonight’s results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich’s campaign plans,” read the memo from Kasich chief strategist John Weaver. “Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention.”
However, such circumstances are highly unlikely at this point. Kasich has only won in one state, his home state of Ohio.
The next states to vote are West Virginia, Nebraska, and California, with 34, 36, and 172 delegates respectively. Trump is projected to win all three guaranteeing him the nomination.
