The 3 Possible Ted Cruz VP Candidates

Ted Cruz's presidential campaign appears to have gained substantial momentum following a moderately successful Super Tuesday and Super Saturday in which he won the states of Kansas, Maine, Texas, Oklahoma, and Alaska. The Texas senator is being seen as perhaps the last legitimate candidate the GOP can put forth to stop current frontrunner Donald Trump. Many in the Republican party are getting a bit ahead of themselves, dreaming of Ted Cruz's vice presidential candidate frontrunner and what a Cruz-fronted ticket would look like. The image certainly feels more respectable to conservatives, many of whom see Trump as a threat to the very party itself.

Cruz is currently in second place and trails Trump by just 84 delegates. Though 713 are still up for grabs, the party may still be headed towards a contested convention. A candidate need 1,237 delegates to secure the presidential nomination, but even if lower polling candidates like John Kasich and Marco Rubio were to concede and subsequently give all their delegates to Cruz, he would still come up short. Republicans are hoping to come together and rally behind one candidate so as to better prepare themselves for a showdown between the Democratic presidential nominee. The GOP is tired of the infighting, it seems. So, let's look to the future and take a guess as to who Cruz would pick to be his running mate were he to nab the GOP presidential nomination.

Marco Rubio

The most likely vice presidential pick for Cruz appears to be his fellow candidate, Marco Rubio. The Florida senator has stayed solidly in third place and, like Cruz, appears to have grown tired of the insults and antics put forth by Trump. During a recent debate, Trump name-called both candidates, referring to Rubio as "Little Marco" and Cruz as "Lyen [sic] Ted." Rubio may not have consistently had as much momentum as Cruz but he has name recognition. The two even appear to share similar political views, though Cruz is far more fiscally conservative. Two establishment politicians who've worked extensively in Congress could be seen as a reassuring ticket to voters, though plenty have voiced preference for outsider candidates.

Mitt Romney

Reports have emerged that Romney For President, Inc. has filed FEC paperwork, indicating that Mitt Romney may once again be running for president. The 2012 GOP presidential nominee filed similar paperwork in 2013 and 2014, though little came from it. It certainly appears as if Romney is once again taking an interest in politics. He had a lot to say in a recent University of Utah speech, condemning Trump and calling for Republicans to act sensibly for the sake of the party.

Cruz may very well pull Romney back into the field for the sake of heading a ticket steeped in experience, with a fellow politician who's been through the nomination and campaigning process before. It would certainly be a compelling way to get Romney back into the fold.

Ben Sasse

Sen. Ben Sasse is a little-known politician outside of his home state of Nebraska. He stands as one of the few sitting in office to piggyback off former candidate Lindsey Graham's statement of backing "Ted Cruz as the only way to stop Donald Trump." As the Cruz campaign prepares to release a list of senate endorsements, Sasse's name may very well come up. His support could place him in prime position to be considered for a vice presidential nomination. After all, stranger things have happened — think John McCain choosing Sarah Palin as his VP pick in 2008 — and lesser known politicians have been tapped for the running mate designation.

Cruz and the Republican party could certainly do worse as they look to thwart what appears to be an inevitable Trump-led ticket.