Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Thursday endorsed former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz in the state’s GOP Senate race.
“We’re proud to join conservatives in Texas and throughout the nation in supporting your campaign to become the next Senator from the Lone Star State,” Palin said in response to a letter from Cruz, according to his campaign. “Your conservative principles, passionate defense of our Constitution and our free market system come at a time when these cornerstones of our freedom and prosperity are under attack. Our shared goal isn’t just to change the majority in control of the Senate, but to assure principled conservatives like you are there to fight for us.”
On Palin’s endorsement of him, Cruz said he’s “humbled and honored” to have her support “as we fight to restore fiscal sanity to the circus that is Washington.”
“Governor Palin has been an inspiration to conservatives across Texas and across the Nation,” Cruz said. “She is principled and passionate and never afraid to speak truth to establishment power.”
Cruz is running against Texas’ current Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in a crowded GOP primary. To win, Cruz would need to force Dewhurst, the current frontrunner, into a runoff election after the May 29 primary. To avoid the runoff, Dewhurst would need to get more than 50 percent of the vote in that primary.
Cruz has been an outspoken critic of Attorney General Eric Holder and his handling of the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, as well.