As verbal jabs continue to escalate between the two, Sen. Ted Cruz holds a narrow lead over rival Donald Trump two weeks out from the Wisconsin primary, according to a new poll.
In the latest Emerson poll, Cruz edges Trump, winning 36 percent support to the real estate mogul’s 35 percent ahead in the Badger state, with Ohio Gov. John Kasich taking 19 percent in the the GOP’s only nominating contest until the end of the April.
The winner of the state will take the majority of its 42 delegates, which are allocated on both a statewide and a proportional basis by congressional district. The news also comes one day after Trump and Cruz split victories in Arizona and Utah, respectively, with Trump increasing his lead in the overall delegate chase.
Earlier Wednesday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said that he will likely make an endorsement before the April 5th primary and hinted that Cruz is the favorite to win his support given delegate math.
“I think it’s fair to say my views, my beliefs, my strategy overall would probably be more aligned with either Sen. Ted Cruz or Gov. John Kasich,” Walker said.
“If you’re someone who is uneasy with the front-runner, right now there’s really only one candidate I think if you’re just looking at the numbers objectively, Ted Cruz,” he added. “Sen. Cruz is the only one who’s got a chance other than Donald Trump to win the nomination. Statistically, my friend Gov. Kasich cannot.”
The new poll also comes a day after Trump went nuclear on Cruz and threatened to “spill the beans” about his wife, Heidi. Cruz responded on Twitter soon after, telling the GOP front-runner that if he attacks Heidi, he’s “more of a coward than I thought.”
Even Heidi Cruz herself responded soon after, telling reporters that Trump’s words overall have “no basis in reality.”
