Cruz courts Rubio voters

Ted Cruz on Tuesday night continued to make the case that he is the only viable alternative to GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump and called on Republicans to unite.

{mosads}“Going forward, the choice is straightforward: Do you want a candidate who shares your values or a candidate who has spent a decade opposing your values?” Cruz said during a speech in Houston.

Cruz congratulated rival Marco Rubio for running a “tremendous campaign” and called on the Florida senator’s supporters to join his campaign.

“Marco is a friend. He’s a colleague. He ran a strong, optimistic, positive campaign,” Cruz said. “To those who supported Marco, we welcome you with open arms.”

Rubio suspended his White House bid after failing to win his home state of Florida. 

Cruz has repeatedly called for both Rubio and John Kasich to consider coalescing behind him so he can focus on Trump.

“Now is the time for Republicans to unite, for independents to unite, for libertarians to unite, for all of us who want a brighter future for our nation,” Cruz added.

While delivering his speech, Cruz and Trump were neck and neck in Missouri’s primary. Trump scored major victories in Florida, Illinois and North Carolina, but fell short to Kasich in Ohio.