Ted Cruz arrives at Republican convention with an eye on the next one

As Ted Cruz thanked hundreds of supporters Wednesday for helping him beat all but one contender in the GOP primary, Donald Trump’s jet roared over the river in the background.

The crowd booed, and moments later, they started chanting at Cruz: “2020! 2020! 2020!”

Many of them said they hoped that the groundwork that Cruz had built during his campaign will form a glide-path for the Texas senator to win the nomination next time. Cruz, a staunchly conservative Texas senator, did nothing to dissuade them.

“We need leaders for the working men and women of this country. I don’t know what the future holds,” he said, accompanied by his wife, Heidi. “What I do know is from the very first days of this nation, God has blessed the United States of America, and I am convinced God is not done with this country.”

A man in the crowd cried out, “God’s not done with you!”

Hours later, Cruz was booed after he did not endorse Trump during a speech at the Republican National Convention.

“Please, don’t stay home in November,” he said. “If you love our country and if you love your children as much as I know you do, stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution.”

Delegates chanted at him to endorse Trump. Instead, the phrase “vote your conscience,” which echoed a slogan used by anti-Trump delegates, appeared to infuriate the crowd.

The lack of endorsement by Cruz, who mentioned Trump’s name only once, was not surprising, however.

Trump and Cruz initially got along, but as the primary race narrowed, they grew increasingly vicious toward each other. Trump dubbed Cruz “Lyin’ Ted,” mocked his wife’s appearance and falsely insinuated that the senator’s father might have been involved in the assassination of President Kennedy.

By the end of the primary, Cruz was calling Trump “utterly amoral,” a “pathological liar,” “a serial philanderer” and a “narcissist at a level I don’t think this country’s ever seen.”

Cruz ended his bid after losing the Indiana primary in May, but as recently as this week said he was uncertain about whether he would endorse Trump.

“I am where a great many voters are, which is that I am listening and watching and coming to a decision,” he told Politico.

Some conservatives and some of his supporters said it was time for Cruz to endorse Trump to help defeat presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

“I’m hoping he’ll say something that will give all of the die-hard, even the ‘Never Trumpers,’ a reason to come along with the party and support our nominee,” said Jeanne Congdon, a Cruz delegate and retiree from Seattle.

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But for many of Cruz’s supporters, the wounds remain fresh, as seen during the nomination roll call Tuesday.

“I think we passed over the best possible choice in Ted Cruz,” said Steve Johnson, a construction worker from Cheyenne, Wyo., wearing a “Cowboys for Cruz” shirt. “I’m just so totally disappointed in America.”

Although he finished second, Cruz did notch some notable victories. He’s the closest second-place GOP primary finisher in decades, winning nearly 8 million votes, 12 states and about 600 delegates; raising 1.8 million donations and amassing 326,000 volunteers.

His supporters hope these efforts will be parlayed into a future nomination, and point to Ronald Reagan’s 1976 second-place finish and 1980 nomination as a model.

“There are a lot of parallels,” said Nathan Dahlin, 31, of Portland, Ore. “There’s a change going on in the party. Back in 1976, Gerald Ford was kind of the Republican establishment of the party and Ronald Reagan was the conservative upstart.”

seema.mehta@latimes.com

For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema on Twitter.

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UPDATES:

7:25 p.m.: The story was updated with quotes from Cruz’s speech at the Republican convention.

The story was first published at 3 a.m.