Ted Cruz Sweeps Colorado Caucus

Donald Trump may have no plans to bow out of the presidential race, but the latest results from the Colorado caucus show the Trump machine may finally be losing ground. Sen. Ted Cruz secured the majority of Colorado's Republican delegates on Friday, winning over the state's most conservative members and throwing a wrench into Trump's boisterous campaign to re-haul the Republican Party and, ultimately, America. But Trump isn't the only conservative looking to make America (somewhat) great again — nor is he the establishment's first choice.

Cruz ended the day on Friday with 21 out of 37 possible delegates. Both Trump and fellow presidential challenger John Kasich, the governor of Ohio, finished with zero delegates. On Saturday, Republican representatives in Colorado will meet at the state's GOP convention to allocate the remaining delegates.

The Colorado caucus is not your typical presidential caucus or primary. While most states hold state-wide elections, Colorado Republicans canceled the state's straw polling on March 1. According to The Denver Post, Colorado was the first state to opt out of the early voting process.

Although Colorado Republicans canceled the state-wide polling, local districts still held voting on March 1 to decide on the 37 delegates who would attend the state's GOP convention on April 9. Those delegates remained unattached to a presidential candidate until this weekend.

To be declared the winner of the Colorado Republican caucus, a candidate must receive at least 19 delegates. With 21 delegates won by Friday, Cruz was declared the effective winner — a much-needed win for the Tea Party favorite whose anti-establishment principles now make him, paradoxically, a favorite of the establishment.

But Cruz's win in Colorado also highlights Trump's troubles with winning over the hard-right anti-Washington conservatives. Trump has been known to poll the weakest among hard-right Republicans, and is typically disliked among Tea Party conservatives.

Anti-Trump sentiment in Colorado may be spreading to other states. According to a report from Politico, the billionaire business mogul is already facing a heated contest in Indiana, which is scheduled to hold a primary on May 3. While Trump has a chance of winning the primary, Indiana GOP insiders told Politico that the state's party leaders are working to turn Indiana's 27 delegates against Trump at the GOP national convention, which many Republicans say will end up being a contested convention. If there is a contested convention, then Indiana's delegates will be able to vote for whoever they want — and reject Trump.