Cruz calls Wisconsin victory ‘turning point’

Ted Cruz took a victory lap after his win in Wisconsin’s GOP presidential primary, claiming new life for his campaign which he believes will help him upset Donald Trump.

The Texas senator said he’ll lead the party to a general election victory in the Badger State for the first time in decades. 

“Tonight, Wisconsin has lit a candle guiding the way forward, tonight we once again have hope for the future,” Cruz said. “Either before Cleveland or at the convention in Cleveland, together we will win a majority of the delegates and together we will defeat Hillary Clinton in November.” 

The Texas senator gave a broad speech that addressed both the primary and general election audiences. 

“Tonight is the turning point; it is a rallying cry,” he said.

“It is a call from the hardworking men and women of Wisconsin. We have a choice, a real choice.”

The victory for Cruz doesn’t substantially help his odds at winning the nomination before the convention, however. He would have to win more than 85 percent of the outstanding delegates to secure a majority. But the win complicates Trump’s path toward the nomination and makes a contested convention more likely. 

Cruz also had a heartfelt moment on stage with his wife, who’s been at the center of repeated criticism by Trump on Twitter and has also had to face claims by The National Enquirer that her husband has had multiple affairs.

Heidi Cruz stood alongside her husband as the crowd chanted her name and her husband praised her as a model for “strong women” and called her his “best friend in the world.”

The crux of the speech looked toward the general election. Cruz described how he’d change the country and trained his fire on Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. 

“Tonight was a bad night for Hillary Clinton. It was a bad night in the Democratic primary, and it was an even worse night for her in the Republican primary,” he said. 

“We continue to unite Republicans, independents, libertarians, Reagan Democrats, and Americans who care about our future.”

Turning to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Cruz’s former presidential rival, the Texas senator predicted he’d be able to win Wisconsin in the general election. 

“Let me tell you, I look forward to coming back in November and for the first time since 1984, painting the Badger State bright Republican red,” he said.