Jeb Bush has decided to endors Texas Senator Ted Cruz for president, calling him a “principled conservative”.
The former governor of Florida dropped out of the Republican race last month after poor showings in state contests.
Jeb Bush said Ted Cruz has shown the ability to appeal to voters and win primary contests, like in Utah on March 22.
Republicans must “overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity” Donald Trump has introduced, he said.
If not, the GOP will certainly lose the White House to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush wrote in a Facebook post.
“Republicans can win back the White House and put our nation on a path to security and prosperity if we support a nominee who can unite our party and articulate how conservative policies will help people rise up and reach their full potential,” Jeb Bush wrote, and linked to Ted Cruz’s website.
Ted Cruz, speaking to CNN on March 23, said Jeb Bush’s endorsement proved his candidacy had garnered support among Republicans.
Former 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also recently endorsed Ted Cruz, strongly urging fellow Republicans not to back Donald Trump.
Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, currently has the highest delegate count and has said there may be “riots” if he is denied the Republican nomination come the party’s convention this summer.
Anti-Trump Republicans are hoping for a brokered convention, in which party officials, not delegates, would chose the nominee, but that is only possible if Donald Trump falls short of the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination.
After contests in Utah and Arizona on March 22, Donald Trump has 739 delegates and Ted Cruz has 465.
In 2012, Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for president, but now the former Republican candidate calls Trump a “phony” and a “fraud”.
When Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, was still in the race, Donald Trump called him “pathological”. Now Ben Carson has endorsed him.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who attacked Donald Trump on the campaign trail, backs the billionaire now that he is out of the race.
Former Republican presidential candidates Carly Fiorina and Lindsey Graham have also endorsed Ted Cruz.
Ted Cruz has urged Ohio Governor John Kasich to drop out of the race, and said he would probably find a place for him in his administration.
He said John Kasich was a “spoiler” by taking votes that could go to him and help the Republicans defeat Donald Trump.
The nasty battle between the leading Republicans worsened this week when Donald Trump warned Ted Cruz he would “spills the beans on your wife” after an anti-Trump group ran ads in Utah featuring a photo of Trump’s wife Melania from an old GQ magazine spread.
Ted Cruz said in response: “Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you’re more of a coward than I thought.”
