Establishment Republicans in Wisconsin lukewarm on Ted Cruz, but say he still has their vote

Ted Cruz.
(Image credit: Darren Hauck/Getty Images)

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?'"

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

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.