UPDATE 4:26 p.m.: Ted Cruz formally announced Carly Fiorina as his choice for vice presidential running mate during a speech in Indianapolis on Wednesday afternoon, CNNconfirms. Cruz told his audience that he considers Fiorina an "extraordinary leader," touting her business experience and the apparently braggable fact that she's "known throughout the country simply by the name of Carly." Okay.
See original story below.
Ted Cruz is expected to make a big announcement on Wednesday, with CNNreporting that announcement will consist of Cruz revealingCarly Fiorina as his vice presidential running mate. Fiorina, who officially endorsed Cruz back in March, has apparently become a regular presence on Cruz's campaign trail. In addition to all that Cruz campaigning, Fiorina is also known for a failed presidential candidacy of her own.
Can a potential Cruz x Fiorina ticket be enough to come back against all mathematical odds and beat leading Republican candidate Donald Trump? To move forward with the possibility of a contested Republican National Convention, CNN notes that Cruz must do well enough in Indiana to prevent Trump from locking down the nomination-required number of delegates. Following Tuesday's primaries, Trump's delegate lead has greatly surpassed previous expectations. The two key states moving forward are California and the aforementioned Indiana, with Nate Cohn of the New York Timesasserting that Trump may not even need an Indiana victory:
"[Trump] might not even need Indiana if he maintains the loyalty of the unbound delegates who said they would vote for the winner of their district in Pennsylvania, or simply if he wins big in California."
Fiorina officially suspended her own campaign back in February, joining fellow struggle candidateChris Christie in defeat. Christie, though his hostage-esque presence behind Trump at a number of rallies would appear to suggest otherwise, officially endorsed Trump later that month. "Generally speaking, I'm not big on endorsements," Trump said during a Texas press conference when first announcing Christie's co-sign, according toCNN. "This was an endorsement that really meant a lot."
"Carly is bright, knowledgeable, brings great financial expertise and she's a woman," Gary Aminoff, co-chair of the Cruz campaign in Los Angeles county, tells the Associated Press of the rumored running mate decision. So can Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard executive, provide Cruz with a fully developed path to victory among Republican voters hoping for a slightly more reasonable and vaguely presidential candidate?
Apparently not.
