Ted Cruz Picks Up Delegates in Wyoming

Ted Cruz won all the 14 delegates at stake in the Wyoming Republican Convention today, narrowing Donald Trump's lead a bit.

The far-right U.S. senator from Texas had already won 10 delegates at county conventions in Wyoming, which does not hold a traditional presidential primary, Reuters reports. One delegate went to Trump and another one is uncommitted. An additional three delegates are party officials who can decide who to support; one has already said she will support Cruz. So that gives him at least 25 of the state's 29 delegates.

Of the Republicans still in the presidential race, Trump has 744 delegates, Cruz 559, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich 144, according to the Associated Press. A candidate needs 1,237 to clinch the nomination.

Wyoming's conservatism made it a likely win for Cruz, and he was the only presidential candidate to appear at the state convention, held in Casper. Trump and Kasich were both campaigning in New York State, which holds its primary Tuesday, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was supposed to represent Trump in Wyoming but canceled shortly before the confab, Reuters reports. Trump has been critical of states such as Wyoming and Colorado, which award delegates through conventions rather than primaries or caucuses.

"If you don't want to see Donald Trump as the nominee, if you don't want to hand the general [election] to Hillary Clinton, which is what a Trump nomination does, then I ask you to please support the men and women on this slate," Cruz told the gathering, holding up a list of the delegates backing him, according to CNN.

Cruz also touted his support for the coal industry in Wyoming, the nation's largest coal-producing state, Reuters notes. He said President Obama and other Democrats, with their emphasis on clean energy, are trying to put coal companies out of business.

"America is the Saudi Arabia of coal, and we are going to develop our industry," Cruz told the convention.