There’s no question Donald Trump has emerged as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but some projections show him gaining just barely enough delegates to win outright.
That leaves some Tennessee delegates facing a question: Do they stick with their guy, or switch to Trump?
Although Trump won in Tennessee, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came away with delegates as well. Between them, at least 23 people selected to represent them at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Tennessee Republican Party is still finalizing the list, but former talk radio host Steve Gill’s name was on the ballot Super Tuesday as a Cruz delegate. He
finished second.
But now that the election is over, Gill says it may be time for Republicans to unite — even if that’s behind Trump.
“I think I and a lot of others will decide that, for all his foibles, maybe he’ll tone it down a little bit. That’s our hope.”
Another potential Cruz delegate is state Representative Sheila Butt. The Columbia lawmaker finished sixth statewide, putting her on track to go to the convention as an alternate.
Butt is still pulling for Cruz to win somehow, sparing her the choice of voting for him or Trump on the floor.
“I’ve been hoping that Cruz would be the candidate, and I wouldn’t have to deal with that.”
But, Butt says, she too is prepared to move into Trump’s camp if that’s what’s good for Republicans.
Another person likely to be at the convention is Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey. He wasn’t on the ballot as a delegate but could be chosen by the state party.
Ramsey has been open in his admiration for Trump’s campaign, and he plans to support the top vote-getter nationally, no matter who it is.
“People ask me who I’m for, and I go, ‘I’m for the winner.’ I don’t know who I want to be president for sure, but I know who I do not want to be president, OK?”
Meaning, Hillary Clinton.
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