Ted Cruz declares victory for 'conservative grassroots,' pleads for 'Reagan Democrats'

Ted Cruz speaks after New Hampshire primary

(Image credit: Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images)

Ted Cruz, vying for a third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary after his first-place showing in the Iowa caucuses, congratulated Donald Trump and second-place finisher John Kasich on Tuesday night. But he quickly declared that his strong showing (11.6 percent, with 63 percent of precincts counting) meant the real winner was "the conservative grassroots" and the real loser "the Washington cartel." To win in November, he said, the Republicans need conservatives, traditional Republicans, and "especially the Reagan Democrats." To earn the votes of blue-collar Democrats, he said, "we must stand unequivocally against amnesty" and ObamaCare, "and for Pete's sake, we don't need more deals," a probable shot at New Hampshire winner Donald Trump.

Cruz said he would continue to campaign against abortion and for gun rights, and said that when he wins the White House, it will be "a victory for We the People" and the death knell for "bipartisan corruption of Washington." Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.