Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz endorsed Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel on Tuesday in his bid for an Ohio Senate seat.
Cruz backed Mandel in a statement lauding the candidate, who is looking to win the right for a rematch against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, as the type of “conservative leader” that Ohio needs.
The endorsement comes amid recent rumblings about an unexpected primary challenger for Mandel.
“When I first met Josh five years ago, I was immediately impressed by his dedication and passion for advancing conservative principles. He has shown his willingness to stand up and fight for those values, leading the charge in Ohio to stop sanctuary cities, crack down on illegal immigration, and put an end to Common Core,” Cruz said.
“I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with him in the Senate and encourage all Republicans to do the same.”
Mandel is the clear front-runner in the GOP primary, having served as a state lawmaker before taking over as state treasurer. Mandel lost by 6 points to Brown in 2012.
Cruz’s endorsement puts a key conservative figure in Mandel’s corner, thanks to the Texas senator’s grip on the GOP grassroots. Mandel has sought to position an impressive slate of national Republicans behind his bid in the hopes of shoring up support within the party.
GOP Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Tom Cotton (Ark.) have already endorsed him, and Rob Portman, Ohio’s senior Republican senator, backed him last week.
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Ted Cruz backs GOP hopeful for Ohio senate seat https://t.co/heVJdC7ygi pic.twitter.com/iOMeDZ3pJp
— The Hill (@thehill) May 30, 2017
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