The 2016 Blast The latest POLITICO scoops and coverage of the 2016 elections. Email Sign Up

Tweets from https://twitter.com/politico/lists/team-politico



Ted Cruz speaks during a rally at Abbington Banquets on March 14, 2016, in Glen Ellyn, Ill. | AP Photo Cruz lays out contested convention scenario

To hear Ted Cruz tell it, a contested convention would be no problem.

“Look, I think we’re going to beat Donald Trump and we’re going to get 1,237 delegates," the Texas senator told radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview Tuesday ahead of the polls closing in five states.

If Cruz does not have the requisite number of delegates to lock down the nomination before the mid-July convention in Cleveland, however, he indicated that he would be just fine with a contested convention.

"But the other option is that we go into the convention and I don’t have 1,237 delegates and Donald doesn’t have 1,237 delegates, in which case, I think he and I will both have a ton of delegates, and we’ll be neck and neck," Cruz explained. "I don’t know who will be on top, but if we don’t get to 1,237, we could easily be on top or we’ll be neck and neck.

"And then you actually have the convention, the delegates decide between the candidates that have gotten a whole bunch of delegates," he continued. "That’s actually the democratic process working the way it’s supposed to, and I think there that it becomes a decision for the delegates.”

Cruz also denounced the idea of a "brokered convention," as he has recently, calling it "an absolute catastrophe."

"The people would revolt, and quite rightly," he said.

Distinguishing between a "brokered" and a "contested" convention, Cruz said there was a "big difference."

"A brokered convention is a convention's deadlocked and the Washington dealmakers parachute in their white-horse salvation who wasn't on the ballot, who the people never selected, and yay, we got the establishment choice," he said.

Cruz later emphatically ruled out any chance that he might join forces with Trump as his vice-presidential pick.

“I have absolutely zero interest in doing that," he said.

Cruz reiterated his doubts that the Manhattan real-estate magnate would prevail in the midterm election. He added, "Donald Trump loses to Hillary.”

On his own radio show earlier, Glenn Beck, who has supported Cruz's candidacy, said there is "not a chance" that Trump and Cruz would be a ticket.