Even before Rubio formally exited the race, Cruz’s team was communicating with donors and other prominent Rubio supporters — Cruz senior foreign policy adviser Victoria Coates, for example, was checking in with people like prominent Bush administration figure and Rubio backer Elliott Abrams.
When Rubio did drop, the Texan’s team sprang into action across the country.
In Utah, his leadership team moved to lock down the Florida senator’s lengthy list of legislative endorsements before next Tuesday’s caucus. Cruz is planning to meet with Gov. Gary Herbert Saturday at a campaign kickoff event for Utah Sen. Mike Lee, another Cruz ally. In Washington, several of Rubio’s national security advisers signed on with Cruz — after, in part, courting from Coates. And nationally, Cruz’s money team is making the case to Rubio’s former donors that Cruz’s time has come.
Their message: The party is running out of time to stop Donald Trump — and Cruz is the only one who can do it.
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