Why not – he quit the campaign.  Now he and Rubio should have to release the delegates back to the campaign.  Also the money the people donated should either be returned to the people who donated the money since they quit or should go to the party itself for the convention.  Since they dropped out of the race  – they should return to the same status as convention goers.

Why Won’t Ted Cruz Release His Delegates Before The Republican Convention?
Aaron Bandler

May 10, 2016

Ted Cruz (R-TX) is refusing to release his delegates before the Republican convention in July, even though he has suspended his campaign. It appears that he’s doing this to keep conservative values in the party platform.

CNN reports that Cruz wrote a letter to the state GOP parties in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas to maintain his bound delegates.

“Although I have suspended my campaign for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States, I do not release any Republican National Convention delegates bound to me as a result of the 2016 delegate selection process that took place in your state,” Cruz wrote.

Cruz made clear in the letter that the purpose of keeping his delegates bound to him is to fight for conservative positions in the party platform.

“I encourage all delegates who supported my campaign — and who support a constitutional conservative agenda that will grow jobs, protect our freedoms, and ensure our security — to actively participate in shaping the Party platform and rules in a manner that will ensure our cause is advanced,” wrote Cruz.

According to Politico, the Cruz team led a conference call on Monday and stressed the importance of Cruz’s delegates having a say in Cleveland.

“They made a point of saying, ‘This is not something nefarious we’re plotting at the convention,'” Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), Cruz’s campaign chairman in Colorado and delegate to the upcoming convention, told Politico. “The Cruz team really just wants to make sure the platform reflects conservative values so that conservatives are excited about turning out this November and in the future.”

This is a certainly a concern among conservatives, since real estate mogul Donald Trump has said he’s open to changing the party platform to include abortion exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, and Trump also has numerous positions that are out of line with standard Republicans, including his embrace of tariffs and campaign finance reform.
“The Cruz team really just wants to make sure the platform reflects conservative values so that conservatives are excited about turning out this November and in the future.”

Ken Buck

While Trump is going to be the presumptive GOP standard-bearer, preventing Trump from changing the party platform to be less conservative will at least keep the Republican Party true to its conservative roots and help those down the ballot who do not necessarily share Trump’s authoritarian views.

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