Indiana Gov. Mike Pence endorsed Ted Cruz on Friday, after meeting with each of the three Republican presidential candidates.
“I’ve come to my decision about who I’m supporting: I’m not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the upcoming Republican primary,” Pence told WIBC.
Pence commended Donald Trump’s “stand for Hoosier jobs,” but said he admired Cruz and would vote for him.
Pence served six terms in Congress before succeeding Mitch Daniels as the Hoosier State’s governor. Facing his own re-election bid, Pence had largely avoided any involvement in the 2016 race, and his office released nearly identical statements after meetings with Donald Trump, John Kasich, and Cruz.
Each of the candidates courted Pence’s support, but the news deals a blow to Trump, who could wrap up the nomination fight if he wins in Indiana. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former chairman of the Republican Governors Association, joined Trump for his meeting with Pence, and Trump praised the Indiana governor on the trail.
But conservative groups had begun pressuring Pence to take a stand against Trump. The editors of the conservative magazine National Review urged Pence to “step up” and back Cruz in order to stop Trump before it was too late. And Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker appears to have lobbied Pence to support Cruz, according to Charlie Sykes, a conservative radio host in Wisconsin who broadcast Walker’s endorsement before the Badger State’s primary.
Pence’s endorsement is a risky decision, and the move could make his race tougher as he tries to avoid alienating warring factions of the Republican Party. The governor previously rankled some evangelical voters who thought Pence failed to stand up for his state’s Religious Freedom and Restoration Act. The governor’s decision may be aimed at winning back those right-leaning voters in Indiana.
The endorsement comes just days before Tuesday’s primary, as Cruz barnstorms the state with his running mate Carly Fiorina. Cruz and Fiorina are holding four more events across Indiana on Friday and will appear on Fox News’ “Hannity” in primetime.
