Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz for president Tuesday, giving Mr. Cruz a major boost ahead of the April 5 GOP primary in the Badger State.
“I am proud to endorse Ted Cruz,” Mr. Walker said on WTMJ radio. “After a lot of time looking at speeches, looking at the records, looking at what the candidates not only say but what they have done in the past, it was an easy call for me to support Ted Cruz.”
Many Republicans in recent weeks who have endorsed or supported Mr. Cruz have cited stopping GOP front-runner Donald Trump as part of their calculus. But Mr. Walker said he wanted to make sure he was supporting someone and that he wasn’t against something or someone.
Mr. Walker, who called Mr. Cruz a “constitutional conservative” capable of taking on special interests, said the Texas senator is best positioned both to win the GOP nomination and defeat Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the fall.
Mr. Walker said he got to know Mr. Cruz a bit better during the campaign.
“He is a decent man, he loves his family, he loves his wife — he adores his children,” Mr. Walker said. “He loves his country. He and I are both preacher’s kids, so I certainly can appreciate and feel strongly about the impact that his father had on him as a minister.”
Mr. Walker also pointed out that he and Mr. Cruz, 45, are both in their 40s, as is House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, 46, who is also from Wisconsin.
“We actually literally came of age under President Ronald Reagan, and I just see someone who’s willing to uphold those same principles, and that’s why I’m proud to endorse,” said Mr. Walker, 48.
In a statement, Mr. Cruz said Mr. Walker has been “an outstanding leader in the conservative movement.”
“Gov. Walker courageously stood up to special interests and won in a bitter fight in Wisconsin,” Mr. Cruz said. “His leadership has made a profound impact on the people of Wisconsin and I welcome his advice on how we can unite the Republican party and defeat Hillary Clinton in November.”
Mr. Cruz, along with Mr. Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, are in Wisconsin this week trying to build support ahead of the state’s primary next Tuesday.
Mr. Walker said he does anticipate campaigning with Mr. Cruz ahead of the primary next week.
“To me, I’m all in,” Mr. Walker said. “This is not a default.”
Mr. Walker had strongly hinted he was thinking about endorsing Mr. Cruz in an interview last week with WTMJ, saying his views would probably be more aligned with those of Mr. Cruz or Mr. Kasich as opposed to Mr. Trump, but that Mr. Cruz was better positioned than Mr. Kasich in terms of the delegate math.
When he suspended his own presidential campaign in September, Mr. Walker had also encouraged other candidates to think about dropping out so voters could focus on a smaller number of candidates “who can offer a positive conservative alternative to the current front-runner.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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