Cruz wins Wisconsin, invigorates anti-Trump camp

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Texas Senator Ted Cruz scored a commanding victory over Donald Trump in Wisconsin's presidential primary Tuesday, putting the Republican frontrunner on notice that his march to the nomination is not a done deal.

Meanwhile the Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton also crashed to defeat against upstart Senator Bernie Sanders. He has now won six of the last seven Democratic contests and can bolster his claim to be a viable alternative standardbearer to the former secretary of state.

But the Wisconsin results are almost certainly more damaging for Trump, the brash billionaire who stormed to the fore last year but has suffered campaign trail setbacks in recent weeks with a series of controversial comments about abortion, NATO and nuclear weapons.

Cruz's capturing most of Wisconsin's 42 Republican delegates now makes it far less likely that Trump will win the 1,237 delegates necessary to secure the nomination outright.

This raises the prospect of a contested convention in July when the delegates meet to choose the party nominee for the November presidential election.

- 'Turning point' -

"Tonight is a turning point. It is a rallying cry," Cruz told cheering supporters in Milwaukee after he received a hug from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, one of several former 2016 presidential candidates who have endorsed Cruz.

"It is a call from the hardworking men and women of Wisconsin to the people of America. We have a choice, a real choice."

Cruz and the anti-Trump movement had eyed Wisconsin, birthplace of the Republican Party, as a crucial firewall against the real estate tycoon's march to become the GOP flag bearer. The Texas senator's win in Wisconsin could well alter the trajectory of the Republican race.

"Trump needs every delegate to get to 1,237, and tonight was a significant setback," veteran election analyst Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia told AFP.

"It's not impossible for Trump to still get there, but the likelihood is that Trump will be a few dozen delegates short of a majority," he added, meaning the likelihood of a contested convention has increased substantially.

Tuesday's results cement Cruz's status as the leading anti-Trump candidate, with Ohio Governor John Kasich far back in the nomination battle.

But Cruz kept his victory speech positive, highlighting his policy platforms and turning his attention toward a possible general election face-off with Clinton.


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