One of the state’s top-ranking Republican leaders warns the GOP could be over if anyone other than Ted Cruz or Donald Trump is named the party’s nominee.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said he is ready to go to battle to block any attempts to throw another presidential candidate into the mix at the Republican National Convention. “That would be extremely divisive and we’ll lead the fight, I said I would lead the fight,” Lt. Gov. Patrick said.
According to Patrick, the party has only two options—Trump or Cruz. “It should only be one of those two,” Patrick said.
Three Republicans remain in the running, but there is a possibility that none of those candidates will be named the party’s nominee.
“If someone is parachuted in, that will begin the end of the Republican Party, it will be the beginning of the end of the party,” said Patrick.
If the primary goes to an open contest, the Republican Party could change the rules to try to block Trump and/or Cruz from the nomination.
One of the state’s delegates and a big Cruz supporter, Patrick said the voters have spoken and the GOP needs to listen.
According to CNN’s estimates, Trump has 742 delegates, Cruz has 462 and in a distant third, John Kasich has 145.
Trump and Cruz have the most votes and the most delegates, but both are considered to be “anti-establishment.”
There 18 Republican Primaries to go and more than 800 delegates still up for grabs but it’s becoming more likely that the party’s nominee will be determined in an open contest.
If none of the candidates win the majority of delegates—1,237 of them—before the Republican National Convention in July, the party’s nominee will be named by the duly elected delegates in an open contest.
It does not matter who has the most delegates going into the convention, whoever is the first to get to 1,237 wins. The delegates vote again and again—until one candidates gets the majority.
“Texas will clearly stick with Cruz—I don’t think we’ll be in a third, fourth, or fifth vote,” Patrick said. “I think Ted will wins it fairly easily on the second ballot.”
Most delegates are bound to stick with the candidate their state went with in the first round vote, then delegates are free to support the candidate of their choice.
“I can just feel the momentum shift,” Patrick said, “the party is rallying around Ted now.”
Rules vary by state, in Texas delegates are bound for the first two votes but the party’s state and national rules could change.
As the party’s rules stand now, a candidate must have the support of the majority of delegates in at least eight states to even get on the first ballot vote. So far, Trump is the only candidate do surpass that benchmark and Cruz is likely to reach it soon.
“We are going to respect the will of the people,” said Tom Mechler, Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas.
Another one of the state’s delegates, Mechler said there will be no attempt to “steal” the election from any of the candidates.
“There won’t be any of that going on, we’re going to follow the rules,” Mechler said.
But the rules could change to help push Kasich ahead or add an outsider to the current pool of candidates.
Patrick said if either of those scenarios happen, “it would just be a disaster.”
When asked why the establishment did not like Cruz, at least initially, Patrick said there are people, particularly in in Washington D.C., who have been in office “too long.”
He said, “They’ve forgotten that the people make the final decision.” And for a long time, Patrick said, a handful of people could hand pick the candidates in Republican Primaries.
Patrick listed Mitt Romney, John McCain and Bob Dole as examples. “All fine people but they were selected by a small group made up of the donor class and the elected class,” Patrick said. “They weren’t really—they were elected by the people but the people didn’t have many opportunities.”
The Lt. Governor said times have changed, voters and more informed and more independent than ever before.
“We’re seeing a major sea change in politics that’s going be with us forever, by the way, the people will always makes the decision,” Patrick said.
That’s why he said he will lead the fight to make sure the “people’s voices are heard” at the convention in Cleveland, OH.
Texas will elect the majority of its 155 delegates at the state’s Republican Convention in May.