So, these were the delegate selection contests Saturday. Bear in mind that none of the non-Wyoming results will change the first-ballot delegate count. But they assuredly will change the second- and later ballots.
GOP delegate selection today in Wyoming, Georgia, Virginia CD10, Kansas CD1, Oklahoma CD1 & 5, South Carolina CD1
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) April 16, 2016
My prediction:
Spoiler warning: Ted Cruz is largely going to get the delegates he wants chosen in all those places. https://t.co/oymCe4kwgI — Moe Lane (@moelane) April 16, 2016
Let’s see how it went.
Wyoming: “Ted Cruz sweeps Wyoming Republican Convention.” Cruz gets fourteen of fourteen.
Georgia: “Donald Trump gets outmaneuvered by Ted Cruz forces in Georgia.” Check out what happened in the 11th District in particular: Trump supporters miscalculated and insisted on a strategy that allowed them to be defeated in detail. Looks like Cruz won 32 of 42 possible delegates/alternates (oh, the delegates are still bound – on the first ballot, at least), with the ratio even more lopsided when it comes to actual delegates.
Virginia-10:
Three Cruz-backers win national delegate slots at VA-10 convention: Dick Black, Mick Staton and Beau Correll.
— Adam Wollner (@AdamWollner) April 16, 2016
Kansas-01: I’ll add to the tweet below that the state rep was also co-chair of Cruz’s Kansas leadership team.
@moelane delegates are conservative state rep, conservative state sen, conservative county chair. — ExiledConservatives (@exiledconservs) April 17, 2016
Oklahoma-01: “Cruz supporters sweep Oklahoma 1st District Convention.” Via @BCSWowbagger.
Oklahoma-05:
@CommodoreBTC @moelane 2 delegates are Cruz supporters; Oklahoma County chairman, allegiance unknown, is 3rd. #okgop #ok5gop — Michael Bates (@BatesLine) April 17, 2016
South Carolina-01: “Pro-Ted Cruz slate of GOP convention delegates elected in Charleston.” “All are considered in or leaning to the Cruz camp. [Delegate K.C.] Lombard was even wearing an athletic-style jersey with Cruz’s name printed on it.”
…So, I pretty much called it, huh? Mind you, and again: these were largely delegate elections that will affect the second and subsequent ballots at the primary. Certainly Trump’s goal now is to hit that magic majority number on the first ballot; and you will undoubtedly hear the usual suspects announcing loudly that this fate is inevitable, once the polls close in New York and the networks immediately call the state primary election for Trump. However, the fact still remains that Ted Cruz’s various state organizations are on the stick right now. Which is a nice thing for a Presidential campaign to have.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member