Iowa congressman Steve King has endorsed Texas senator Ted Cruz for president. Watch the video of King’s announcement below:
Please join Congressman @SteveKingIA in supporting our campaign: https://t.co/X5cZSyeeGR #IACaucus #IAGOP https://t.co/qgv9b7rVxP
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 16, 2015
“February 1, do your duty for God and country, come to caucus and support Ted Cruz for president of the United States,” says King.
King’s district spans northwest and north central Iowa, a rural and conservative part of the state. The six-term congressman has become a sought-after supporter in the Iowa caucuses in recent cycles.
Cruz has been though to have the “inside track” to getting King’s endorsement, as National Journal put it, though it was not a sure thing. A former King staffer, for instance, is the state director for Donald Trump’s Iowa campaign. And besides, the congressman did not endorse before the 2012 primary, only saying he liked both Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney.
The endorsement could certainly help Cruz as the Tea Party favorite works to earn support from across many of Iowa’s influential conservative networks:
An important element of Cruz’s organizing strategy is Vicki Crawford, a homeschool activist with a large network in Iowa. Crawford’s support for Cruz is a good omen, since she backed the 2008 caucus victor, Mike Huckabee. Another element is the pastors, and Cruz is about two-thirds of the way toward his goal of having 99 influential ministers (one for each of Iowa’s counties) supporting his campaign. Lock up both the homeschool and evangelical networks, and you’ve got a significant segment of the Republican bloc in your corner.
Update: As Daniel Strauss of Politico notes, one of King’s sons, works for a super PAC supporting Cruz for president.
