By asking to be removed from California ballot, Rubio might give boost to Cruz, Kasich


Marco Rubio could give Ted Cruz and John Kasich an assist in the California primary, now that he has asked that his name be removed from the state's presidential primary ballot.
Rubio wrote a letter to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, formally requesting that his name no longer appear on the June 7 ballot. Some are hoping that with Rubio's name not on the ballot, a person who otherwise would have voted for him — despite the fact that he dropped out of the race — might instead cast their vote for Cruz or Kasich rather than Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
Under state law, in order for former candidates to have their name taken off the ballot, they must file an affidavit with the secretary of state before April 1. The Los Angeles Times reports Rubio is the only former Republican candidate to make the request, and Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, and Jim Gilmore will all appear on the ballot.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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