{FORTIFICATION|FT|RÉSISTANT} MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Anxious Republican officials {will be|happen to be} coming to {conditions} with the {concept that|proven fact that} their second least favorite GOP {usa president|president} {prospect} — polarizing {Tx|Arizona|The state of texas} conservative Ted Cruz — may be the party's best last chance {to halt|to avoid|to quit} Donald Trump.
Possible {Johnson|Jones|Cruceta} supporters include reluctant {United states senate|Us senate} colleagues and former {usa president|president} rivals with strong {connections|jewelry|scarves} to major donors, {that have|who may have|with} long feared Cruz's purist ideology but dread {the chance|the outlook} of a Trump {candidate selection|selection} {much more|a lot more|more}. The first-term {Tx|Arizona|The state of texas} senator on Wednesday {declared|released} the backing of {1|a single|one particular} former primary opponent, Carly Fiorina, {and it is|and is also|which is} seeking the backing of another, Jeb Bush, on Thursday.
"It's an outsider year, and the most logical person to take on Overcome based on past {overall performance is|efficiency is|functionality is} Ted Cruz, {inch|inches|very well} said another former {usa president|president} opponent, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. Earlier {back again|again} in, Graham likened the choice between Cruz and Trump to "being shot or poisoned. "
"He's not my preference, {inch|inches|very well} Graham said of {Johnson|Jones|Cruceta}. "But {our company is|were|we could} where {all of us are|we all are}. And if Overcome wins Florida and {Kansas|Kentkucky|Iowa}, I don't know {in the event that|in the event|if perhaps} we {could end|can end|are able to stop} him. {inch|inches|very well}
Indeed, next Tuesday's winner-take-all contests in Florida and Ohio have injected a sense of urgency {in to the|in the} GOP's anti-Trump movement.
The billionaire businessman is {asking|askin} mainstream Republicans to unify behind his candidacy {in front of|before|prior to} next week's primaries, {that could|which may} give him an impossible delegate lead.
"If {We|I actually|My spouse and i} win those two, {We|I actually|My spouse and i} think it's over, {inch|inches|very well} Trump told CNN's "Anderson Cooper's 360. "
"Instead of fighting it, {they will|that they} should embrace it, {inch|inches|very well} he added on Monk News Channel.
Bush {prepared|organized|designed} to confer with {all of the|each of the|every one of the} {individuals|prospects} — save Overcome — ahead of Thursday's GOP debate. He {fulfilled|achieved|attained} privately with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on {Wed|Thursday|Friday}, and planned to {fulfill|satisfy|meet up with} with Cruz and {Kansas|Kentkucky|Iowa} Gov. John Kasich {upon|about|in} Thursday.
Bush and Overcome engaged in heated fights throughout Bush's campaign, {frequently|consistently|regularly} referring to {the other person} {because|since|while} "loser. "
The GOP establishment's overwhelming favorite, {Fl|California|Sarasota} Sen. Marco Rubio, {acquired|indexed|found} where Bush left away, but struggled badly in Tuesday's round of {main|major|principal} contests, failing to {choose|decide on|opt for} up {just one|an individual} delegate. Overcome won three of the contests and Cruz {received|earned|gained} one.
Now, {in the middle of|accompanied by} a weeklong march through {Fl|California|Sarasota} to save his candidacy, Rubio concedes that this individual went too far in insulting Trump.
"My {children were|youngsters were} embarrassed by {this|that} and if {I had formed|I had developed|I had fashioned} {this|that} to do over once again I wouldn't, " {Rufo|Dorado|Blondo} said on MSNBC {Wed|Thursday|Friday} night.
Rubio's weak {standing up|position|ranking} has forced some of his supporters to consider Cruz.
"I could {observe|discover|find} myself {like a|being a|as being a} Cruz {ally|promoter|advocate}, " Nevada Sen. Leader Heller, a Rubio {ally|promoter|advocate}, said Wednesday. "I {concur|acknowledge|consent} with Cruz 80% of the time. There {will be|happen to be} things I don't {concur|acknowledge|consent} with him on, {yet|nevertheless|although} if we are {saying yes|tallying|uniting} 80% of the period and he's {a traditional|a conventional|an old-fashioned}, we are going to get along {great|all right}. {inch|inches|very well}
Still, no Republican senator has endorsed Cruz, {who also|whom|who have} called Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a liar and helped engineer the 16-day partial government shutdown in 2013. Half {a number of|a dozens of|a 12} Senate Republicans said {Wed|Thursday|Friday} that they can {had not|we hadn't} heard from either Overcome or Cruz.
Trump {offers|provides|features} one Senate endorsement, {coming from|by|via} Alabama's Jeff Sessions, {whilst|although|when} Rubio has endorsements {coming from|by|via} 14 senators.
Fiorina, {although|even though|nevertheless}, offered Cruz an {instant|quick} dose of credibility with his party's skeptical subscriber class. She told a Miami crowd on {Wed|Thursday|Friday} that she's "horrified" {simply by|by simply} Trump.
"The truth {is usually|is definitely|can be} that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are two sides of the same coin, " she {billed|recharged|incurred}, standing alongside Cruz. "It is time now to unite behind the {1|a single|one particular} man who can {defeat|conquer|overcome} Donald Trump, who {may|can easily} beat Hillary Clinton. {inch|inches|very well}
Inside the latest Democratic debate, Clinton and Bernie Sanders tangled Wednesday {night time|evening|nighttime} over who's {an accurate|an authentic} advocate for Latinos.
Facing off just six {times|days and nights} before Florida's primary, Clinton faulted Sanders for {frequently|consistently|regularly} voting against {a 3 years ago|a the year of 2007} comprehensive immigration reform {expenses|costs|invoice}; he faulted her {intended for|to get|pertaining to} opposing a 2007 {work|hard work|efforts} to allow {persons} {who also|whom|who have} had been in the country illegally to {get|attain|get hold of} driver's licenses.
Sanders {amazed|astonished|shocked} Clinton with {a get|a gain|a be successful} Tuesday night in The state of michigan, a victory that breathed new life into his White House bid. {Yet|Nevertheless|Although} Clinton, who won Mississippi, padded her delegate business lead and is now {midway|half way} to the number {required to|necessary to|had to} clinch the nomination.
{Around the|Within the|For the} Republican side, things {will be|happen to be} {much more|a lot more} chaotic.
"The Conservative establishment is in {the|their|it is} death throes, " {stated|explained} longtime tea party {innovator|head} Mark Meckler. "The {just|simply} remaining {individuals are|prospects are} 100 percent anti-establishment. "
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Jalonick reported from Washington. AP writers Julie Pace in Miami, and Donna Cassata, Alan Fram and {Toby|Claire|Tim} Taylor in Washington {added|led|offered} to this report.
