Several establishment Republicans in Wisconsin say Ted Cruz's surge in the state isn't due to enthusiasm for the Texas senator, but more to anti-Donald Trump sentiment.
A Marquette Law School poll has Cruz with a 10-point lead over Trump ahead of next Tuesday's Wisconsin primary. Several prominent Wisconsin Republicans spoke with Politico, saying that while they don't care for Cruz's combative style and his hard-line stance on immigration, they still view him, ultimately, as the best alternative to Trump. "There will be a stop-Trump vote, but I do not think it reflects enthusiasm for Cruz," an unidentified prominent Republican business leader told Politico. "It's going to be an unenthusiastic vote. It's a pick-your-poison vote that does not have the business community fired up. They're basically [asking], 'What color suicide vest do you wear?'"
While Gov. Scott Walker, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos are all behind Cruz, one person not supporting him is former U.S. Rep. Scott Klug, who is backing John Kasich. He said "very consciously, a lot of people are hoping" that House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin native, ends up the nominee after a contested convention, but Ryan has said multiple times he does not want the nomination and wants to see a candidate who ran this year become the nominee. The state is expected to have its largest primary turnout since 1980, and Republican businessman Brandon Scholz told Politico that while Cruz "may not be their first choice, he may be their only choice. Others who have not been on the Cruz ship are, at least at this point, buying into, Wisconsin is the firewall to stop Trump."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Political cartoons for November 1Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include insurance premiums, early voting in NYC, and more
-
Salted caramel and chocolate tart recipeThe Week Recommends Delicious dessert can be made with any biscuits you fancy
-
Meet Ireland’s new socialist presidentIn the Spotlight Landslide victory of former barrister and ‘outsider’ Catherine Connolly could ‘mark a turning point’ in anti-establishment politics
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
