Tea Party favourite Ted Cruz quits race

Republican Senator Ted Cruz (left) hugs his father Rafael Cruz and wife Heidi Cruz after announcing the suspension of his presidential campaign during an election night watch party in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo: AFP)

Donald Trump completed his transformation from long-shot White House hopeful to presumptive Republican presidential nominee after his commanding win in Indiana’s primary forced his main rival Ted Cruz to drop out of the race.

The New York billionaire, who has never held public office, had repeatedly defied pundits’ predictions that his campaign would implode. He prevailed despite making outrageous statements along the way that drew biting criticism but still fed his anti-establishment appeal.

Mr Trump can now prepare for a match-up in the November 8 election.

Mr Trump’s immediate challenge is to unite deep fissures within the Republican party, easing tensions with party loyalists who are appalled at his bullying style, his comments on women and his signature proposals to build a wall on the border with Mexico and deport 11 million illegal immigrants. The businessman himself called for unity in a speech at a victory rally that was free of his usual bombast and flamboyance. He also directed fire at Hillary Clinton, who is most likely to be his Democratic rival in the November election.

“We’re going after Hillary Clinton,” he said. “She will not be a great President, she will not be a good President, she will be a poor President. She doesn’t understand trade.”

Support for Mr Trump among national Republicans had soared in recent weeks to the highest level of the primary campaign, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. A recent poll found Mr Trump with the support of 53 per cent of Republican participants, well above Mr Cruz at 25 per cent. Ohio governor John Kasich, who the US media said has decided to quit the race also, had the support of 16 per cent Republicans.

Mr Trump’s victory put to rest a belief that Republicans would choose their nominee at a contested convention among party leaders in July. Nonetheless, Mr Kasich vowed to stay in the race until California holds its primary on June 7.

With 1,002 delegates to his name, Mr Trump is near-certain to clinch the nomination, which requires the backing of 1,237 delegates.

Republican National Committee chairperson Reince Priebus called Mr Trump the party’s presumptive nominee in a tweet and said, “We all need to unite and focus” on defeating Ms Clinton.

As the vote returns flowed in, Mr Cruz announced that he had ended his campaign. Mr Cruz, 45, sounding beaten but defiant, said he no longer saw a viable path to the nomination. “We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign,” the Texas Senator said.