Ted Cruz won a strong victory in the Republican primary in Wisconsin Tuesday, running up a comfortable margin against rival Donald Trump and dealing the GOP front-runner a setback in his attempt to lock up the GOP nomination.
Cruz’s victory was fueled by strong performances among key groups in the Wisconsin GOP electorate, according to the NBC News Exit Poll. He dominated Trump among voters most concerned about winning in November, 68 percent to 20 percent. Cruz also was heavily favored by Wisconsinites preferring a candidate with experience in politics, beating Trump in this group 68 percent to 8 percent.
Cruz also performed well with other Republican groups, including those agreeing with the party’s traditional position that trade with other countries creates more U.S. jobs. He beat Trump comfortably among these voters (54 percent to 28 percent). Cruz also outperformed Trump handily with the state’s wealthiest voters, besting him by 52 percent to 31 percent among those with incomes of $100,000 or more.
