POLITICS

Ted Cruz announces Carly Fiorina as his running mate

Stephanie Wang, Chelsea Schneider, and Tony Cook
IndyStar
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz tapped former GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina as his running mate Wednesday at a rally in Indianapolis.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz tapped former GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina as his running mate Wednesday at a rally in Indianapolis where he attempted to undercut front-runner Donald Trump’s momentum the day after he swept contests in five states.

In Fiorina, Cruz finds a vice presidential pick who enjoyed the high-profile support of former Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and some of the state’s most influential business leaders as she campaigned for president. It’s another example of the Texas senator working to bolster his chances of outperforming Trump in Indiana’s primary,  where picking up delegates is critical to the future of his campaign.

Cruz said among the "most solemn choices" a presidential candidate makes is selecting a running mate. He also acknowledged the uncommon timing of the announcement and that some might ask — "why now?"

"It is unusual to make the announcement as early as we are doing so. Well, I think all would acknowledge this race, if anything, is unusual," Cruz said.

Cruz said voters deserve to know who would lead the nation if they voted for him. He praised Fiorina for her business background and track record as a conservative.

"She knows how to produce jobs, how to expand jobs, how to raise wages," Cruz said. "She knows firsthand the key to economic growth is not more and more government, it's less and less government."

Choosing Fiorina also allows Cruz to take advantage of one of Trump’s potential weaknesses – how he is perceived by women. Cruz recalled an early Republican debate when Fiorina confronted Trump about his remarks to Rolling Stone over her physical appearance. Referencing Fiorina, Trump had told the magazine, “Look at that face!”

Cruz said Fiorina handled those comments with grace, showing that she’s not “intimidated by bullies.”

“She’s faced challenges a lot worse than someone bellowing and yelling and insulting her face,” Cruz said.

Joining Cruz on the stage at The Pavilion at Pan Am Plaza, Fiorina said she was "very proud and humbled and honored." Then she took aim at the front-runners in the race, saying that Trump and Democratic leader Hillary Clinton would be "disastrous for this country.” She also told the crowd that she wasn’t afraid for a fight because she’s challenged the status quo all her life.

"This is a fight for the soul of our party and the future of our nation," Fiorina said.

She recalled being asked at a debate: “Will you support Donald Trump if he’s the nominee?”

“He doesn’t represent me,” Fiorina said to cheers, “and he does not represent my party.”

Earlier in the day, Cruz had hinted at a “major announcement” when he stopped at pancake house Sisters’ Place near Downtown. Speculation turned to the potential of Cruz naming Fiorina, former Hewlett Packard CEO, as his running mate. Fiorina dropped out of the race for president in February and endorsed Cruz.

"I think she is very smart, very business savvy. I think he needed to go ahead and reveal his pick now," said Lee Ashton, 58, of Martinsville. "I think it's to get Hoosier votes but also to show he has real plans of being competitive."

At the beginning of this year's election cycle, Jenny Brake of Carmel said it was a hard choice between Cruz and Fiorina among the large field of GOP contenders. Now, the two combining forces is a "dream come true," said Brake, 59.

"She just represents sort of the small guy that gets to the top," Brake said. "That succeeds in business and at home and family life. Also the struggles that she has had — she is just kind of 'every woman.'"

Cruz doesn’t have problems with women voters like Trump, Brake said. But she said Fiorina’s “wisdom and experience” is a great match for Cruz.

Cruz finds himself in a tricky spot politically in the Hoosier state as he plays to his social conservative roots but also tries to appeal to more moderate supporters of Ohio Gov. John Kasich. In a strategic move aimed at stopping Trump, Kasich isn’t campaigning in Indiana ahead of the May 3 primary to give Cruz a greater chance at denying delegates to the billionaire real estate mogul.

Naming a running mate prior to securing the nomination is a highly unusual move.

The last time it happened was 40 years ago, when Ronald Reagan named Pennsylvania Sen. Richard Schweiker as his running mate during his unsuccessful 1976 nomination fight with Gerald Ford.

Fiorina had some significant Hoosier support in her brief run for president. In November, a presidential fundraiser was hosted for Fiorina in Carmel at the upscale Lucas Estate. Hosts included Ellspermann; Lucas Oil founder Forrest Lucas and his wife, Charlotte; and former Eli Lilly and Co. CEO Randall Tobias and his wife, Deborah.

In the months after Fiorina dropped out of the race, Trump named Suzanne Jaworowski, who had co-chaired Fiorina’s Indiana campaign, as his state director in April.

USA TODAY and IndyStar reporter Mark Alesia contributed to this story.

Call IndyStar reporter Chelsea Schneider at (317) 444-6077. Follow her on Twitter: @IndyStarChelsea.

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