Ted Cruz will announce today his selection of Carly Fiorina as his running mate for the presidency, a source familiar with the decision tells National Review.

It could not be confirmed what precise language Cruz will use in making the announcement, but the source says Cruz will be presenting himself and Fiorina as “a ticket.”


The Texas senator told reporters Wednesday morning to expect a “major announcement” at his 4 p.m. rally in Indianapolis, setting off speculation that he would name his vice-presidential choice in order to shift the news narrative away from Donald Trump’s sweep of five northeastern primary contests Tuesday night.

The source says Fiorina has been on Cruz’s short-list ever since they hit it off during a one-on-one meeting at the Conservative Political Action Conference in early March, which led to her endorsement of Cruz in Florida March 9.

But Cruz’s decision to tap Fiorina as his ticket-mate, the source added, can be traced to late March, when he watched his former rival push back on the National Enquirer story alleging the senator had carried on multiple extramarital affairs. Fiorina forcefully interceded on Cruz’s behalf during a press conference in Wisconsin when a Daily Mail reporter pressed him to categorically deny the allegations. She called Trump a “serial philanderer” and accused the media of dancing to his tune.

The incident convinced Cruz of both her unshakable loyalty and her unrivaled talent as a Republican attack dog — and not just against Trump in the primary. “Let me tell you,” Cruz said the next morning, nodding toward Fiorina during a stop in suburban Milwaukee, “that woman gives Hillary Clinton nightmares.”