Presidential Election

Can Carly Fiorina Help Ted Cruz Defeat Donald Trump?

The U.S. senator must win or go home as the Republican primaries return to the Midwest.

Can Carly Fiorina Help Ted Cruz Defeat Donald Trump?
Getty Images / Ty Wright
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"The Republican Party faces a choice today. Indiana and America, I believe, want to unite behind a positive, optimistic, forward-looking conservative campaign," Sen. Ted Cruz said during his vice president announcement Wednesday. 

After losing big to Donald Trump in primary after primary, Ted Cruz needed to change the conversation, and he hopes his announcement Wednesday will do that. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who dropped out of the race months ago, will join Cruz as his running mate.

"I've had tough fights all my life. Tough fights don't worry me a bit. What matters is is the fight worth having. This is a fight worth having, this is a fight worth winning and with your help we will win this fight," Fiorina said during the announcement. 

Now, Fiorina has sort of been Cruz's de facto running mate for several weeks now, ever since she endorsed him. And since he's not the nominee, there's nothing all that official about this. He just needs all the help he can get in Indiana's primary next Tuesday.

While Fiorina is popular among GOP voters, she wasn't popular enough to stay in the race past New Hampshire

But she does have experience butting heads with Donald Trump, and for Ted Cruz, that's worth something right now.

"Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that face?" CNN's Jake Tapper recited from Trump's remarks.

"I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said," Fiorina responded.

This video includes clips from ABCCBSFox News and PBS and images from Getty Images.