Utah’s lieutenant governor endorsed Ted Cruz on Saturday, just three days before the state’s Republican caucuses.
“I am supporting Ted Cruz for president because he is the strong, principled leader we need to help get our country back on track,” said Lt. Gov Spencer Cox at rally Saturday in Provo, Utah. “Ted has unwaveringly fought for conservative principles time after time and as President he will do the same. I am asking all of my fellow Utah Republicans to join me, Senator Mike Lee and Mitt Romney in voting for Ted Cruz on Tuesday.”
Cruz thanked Cox for his endorsement, saying he is “thrilled” to have the support.
“He has proven himself to be a strong leader for Utah,” Cruz said in a statement. “Spencer is a principled conservative who has a great respect for our Constitution and the rule of law and I am proud to have him on our team.”
Cox had previously endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for president, but Rubio ended his campaign earlier in the month after losing his home state’s primary.
On Tuesday, Republican voting contests will take place in Arizona and Utah, where 58 and 40 delegates are up for grabs respectively. Cruz, a senator from Texas, looks to gain ground on GOP front-runner Donald Trump in the total delegate count. Trump leads with 678 delegates to Cruz’s 423 delegates. A total of 1,237 delegates are needed to lock the party nomination.
While Cox’s boss, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, has yet to endorse a candidate, 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney announced this week that he will cast a vote for Cruz during Utah’s caucuses in order to combat Trump’s ascension to the nomination. Romney’s word may carry some weight as he enjoys significant popularity in the Beehive State. He won 93 percent support in Utah’s 2012 GOP primary.
Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt endorsed the only other remaining GOP candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, on Thursday.
