Elections

Carly Fiorina as Ted Cruz’s vice-presidential running mate? Could be.

Dawn Chmielewski
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Carly Fiorina could become Ted Cruz's vice-presidential running mate
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Carly Fiorina could become Ted Cruz's vice-presidential running mate

Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive and onetime presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina is being vetted as a potential vice presidential running mate for Sen. Ted Cruz, a Fiorina aide confirmed.

Fiorina endorsed the Texas senator last month, after abandoning her own White House bid in February. At the time, she described Cruz as "a fearless fighter for our constitutional rights" and a "strong, inspirational" leader.

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On the face of it, the two seem unlikely allies — Fiorina's a pro-business conservative (who ran to the right during in the primary), while Cruz is known for his unwavering support of the Constitution and the Bible.

GOP Candidate Carly Fiorina on stage during the GOP Debate at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado on October 28, 2015.
David A. Grogan | CNBC

Both, though, have clashed with Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Leaking the names of potential running-mates is a time-honored political strategy to show continued momentum; this time as Cruz is likely to endure defeats Tuesday in Republican primaries in the Northeast.

The move also creates a fresh narrative for the Cruz campaign — he's not giving up! — as the candidate seeks to win over primary voters in California. It also empowers Fiorina as a surrogate for the candidate.

Fiorina will take the stage Saturday at the California Republican State convention in Burlingame, where she's expected to promote Cruz's candidacy.

The news of the vetting was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

By Dawn Chmielewski, Re/code.net.

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