INDIANAPOLIS — Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz on Wednesday tapped former technology executive Carly Fiorina — a woman who he said has repeatedly "shattered glass ceilings" — to serve as his running mate.
The Texas senator announced his pick for vice president at an Indianapolis rally, an unusual move for an underdog candidate.
Cruz praised Fiorina's path from secretary to CEO and her past willingness to challenge GOP front-runner Donald Trump.
"Carly isn't intimidated by bullies," he declared, adding, "Over and over again, Carly has shattered glass ceilings."
The 61-year-old Fiorina, a former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, has been a prominent Cruz ally since shortly after abandoning her own presidential bid earlier in the year. She was the only woman in the Republican Party's crowded 2016 field.
"Of all the people who didn't make it far in the race, she was one of the best about laying out her plan, talking about who she is and her accomplishments," said Doug De Groote, a fundraiser for Cruz based near Los Angeles.
Fiorina's selection marked another extraordinary development in the 2016 Republican campaign, particularly for a candidate who is far from becoming his party's presumptive nominee. Cruz was soundly defeated by GOP front-runner Donald Trump in all five primaries contests on Tuesday, and he's been mathematically eliminated from winning the nomination before his party's national convention in July.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.