Following a meeting of Wall Street donors and DC political strategists, the Cruz campaign has shifted strategy and announces a “Stop Trump” focus on North Carolina, Missouri and Illinois.

CNN shares some of in insider details as provided by Kellyanne Conway a CNN contributor, pundit and current head of the pro-Cruz Super-PAC Keep the Promise.

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(Via CNN) […]  Keep the Promise, the main cluster of independent groups backing Cruz, is preparing to spend $4.1 million in a quartet of states that vote on March 15: Missouri, Illinois, Ohio and North Carolina. It is passing entirely on Florida, Rubio’s home state, where he trails national frontrunner Donald Trump badly in polls.

“We’re no longer doing anti-Rubio ads in Florida, because it appears he can lose Florida all by himself,” said Kellyanne Conway, the group’s president. “He doesn’t need our help.”

The groups are spending $3.2 million on television in North Carolina, Missouri and Illinois, more than $535,000 on digital in those states plus Washington D.C. and Ohio and $435,000 on radio in North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. Republicans in D.C. vote on March 12.

Cruz forces had planned an incursion into Florida as part of an effort to deny Rubio the 99 delegates he needs in his home state to argue he has a viable path to the nomination. Cruz in recent days has intensified his argument that should Rubio remain in the race, it is likely to hand Trump the nomination by keeping the field splintered. Florida was seen as a chance to deliver a knock-out punch to the Florida senator on his own turf. (read more)

It is not incidental these changes in strategy follow meetings with Team Jeb Bush.

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