On the eve of his state’s Republican caucus, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert endorsed Ted Cruz for president.
Herbert announced he would “join Mitt Romney” in supporting Cruz, according to a Facebook post.
“Ted Cruz is a consistent conservative who understands the importance of federalism,” Herbert wrote. “I’m confident he will work to limit the federal government when it comes to education, public lands and other issues where states can do better than the federal government.”
Herbert also said the vacancy on the Supreme Court makes it clear that Republicans must choose a “strong conservative” nominee to ensure the Court’s replacement abides by the rule of law.
The Texas senator has performed well in Beehive State polling and has received endorsements from several prominent Utahns, including Sen. Mike Lee and Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee.
Cruz’s campaign has high expectations for his performance in Utah on Tuesday, as recent polling has shown Cruz above 50 percentage points. If any candidate exceeds the 50-percentage-point threshold, the candidate would receive all of the state’s delegates.
