Texas Sen. Ted Cruz picked Carly Fiorina to be his running mate if he earns the Republican nomination.
“After a great deal of time and thought, after a great deal of consideration and prayer, I have come to the conclusion that if I am nominated to be president of the United States that I will run on a ticket with my vice presidential nominee Carly Fiorina,” Cruz said at a rally in Indianapolis. “Born in Texas — very first thing I liked about her — Cara Carleton Fiorina, known throughout the country simply by the name of Carly, is an extraordinary leader.”
In the aftermath of five losses to Donald Trump in the Northeast on Tuesday, Cruz looked to reset the news cycle in Indiana ahead of the Hoosier State’s primary next week, teasing a 4 p.m. “major announcement” the next day.
Speculation that Cruz would announce Fiorina as his vice presidential pick bubbled up in recent days amid reports that the Cruz campaign was vetting her. This reporting intensified Wednesday and leaked out before the decision was formally made public.
Fiorina took the stage and said she was ready for a fight.
“This is a fight for the soul of our party and the future of our nation,” Fiorina said. “And there are some who would say, a lot of people in the media would say, “Well why have the fight? Just lay down.” … You know what? I’ve had tough fights all my life. Tough fights don’t worry me a bit. What matters is, is the fight worth having? And this is a fight worth having. This is a fight worth winning. And with your help we will win this fight.”
While most vice presidential picks are done with the general election in mind, Cruz’s selection indicates he’s also looking for someone who can help him beat back Trump in the primary. Cruz may not have a shot at earning the nomination on a first ballot at the GOP convention, but Fiorina’s presence may help him gain delegates in upcoming primaries such as California where she ran for the Senate and lost in 2010.
Fiorina’s prowess on the campaign trail for Cruz was made evident in Wisconsin. While Cruz fundraised and visited other states, he dispatched his wife, Heidi Cruz, and Fiorina to the Badger State.
In the weeks leading up to the Wisconsin primary, Heidi Cruz’s physical appearance was ridiculed by Trump via Twitter and Trump’s campaign manager faced charges, later dropped, stemming from a confrontation with a female reporter in Florida. Trump also suggested women who receive abortions should face punishment, but later appeared to walk back his statements.
Heidi Cruz and Fiorina formed a duo that helped set the table for Cruz’s victory in Wisconsin, which is something the senator wants to repeat as the state heads back to the Midwest.
Cruz’s selection may help him leverage women voters against Trump. After winning five states on Tuesday, Trump said Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would be losing if she were a man and can only play the “woman’s card” against him in a general election matchup.
The former Hewlett-Packard CEO also squared off with Trump in defense of women on the presidential debate stage before dropping out. After Trump ridiculed her face, Fiorina took to the stage and said, “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.”
Cruz mentioned this exchange as he announced Fiorina as his running mate and praised her for taking on Trump. “One of the great principles of bully is they feed off people,” he said. “They don’t know what to do when a strong, powerful woman stands up and says, ‘I am not afraid.'”
Her public endorsement for Cruz in Florida ahead of the Sunshine State’s primary may have helped seal the fate of Marco Rubio’s failed presidential campaign. Now, Cruz could hope she will help him torpedo Trump.
The Cruz campaign has hinged its hopes on the Hoosier State, going so far as to make an agreement with his Republican rival John Kasich to get the Ohio governor to pull out of Indiana. Cruz appears to be pulling out all the stops to win Indiana, as a defeat there will make it more difficult to prevent Trump from winning the delegates necessary to secure the nomination.
Fiorina made her mark on the 2016 race by attacking Clinton mercilessly on the stump in the primary, a typical role for a vice presidential candidate in the general election. If chosen, she and Cruz would have to get past Trump first.
