Ted Cruz declared he would not release his delegates in at least three primary states, even though he is out of the race and the Republican convention is likely to nominate Donald Trump.
The Texas senator sent letters to state parties in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas on Monday informing them he would keep the delegates he won during their primary contests. While in the race, Cruz won 546 pledged delegates. This move could lessen Trump’s delegate count and also give Cruz more direction over rules and procedures during the GOP convention.
Many conservatives are looking to Cruz delegates to help ward off any changes to the platform.
“Although I have suspended my campaign for the Republican Party nomination for president of the United States, I do not release any Republican National Convention delegates bound to me as a result of the 2016 delegate selection process that took place in your state,” Cruz wrote in a letter to Kelly Arnold, the chair of the Kansas GOP, as first reported by CNN.
Delegates in Kansas are especially crucial because they are required to remain with whichever candidate they are pledged to until they are officially released. In contrast, some other states allow delegates to vote for whomever they want once their candidate leaves the race.
Cruz encouraged the delegates who supported his campaign to continue to “actively participate in shaping the party platform and rules in a manner that will ensure our cause is advanced.”
Cruz may be holding on to more state delegates, though at this point it is unclear. Earlier this year, former candidate Florida Sen. Marco Rubio asked state party chairs to hold on to his delegates where allowed by state rules as well.
