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Ted Cruz

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence endorses Ted Cruz

Tony Cook, Mark Alesia and Stephanie Wang
The Indianapolis Star
GOP vice presidential candidate Mike Pence is in good health, according to his doctor

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence formally endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz for the Republican presidential nomination Friday, just days before Indiana's critical Tuesday primary.

"I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the upcoming Republican primary," Pence said on a conservative radio talk show in Indianapolis hosted by Greg Garrison.

"I see Ted Cruz as a principled conservative who has dedicated his career to advocating the Reagan agenda," he said, citing the Texas senator's opposition to "runaway spending," efforts to repeal Obamacare, his devotion to the Constitution and his "strong and unwavering stand for the sanctity of life."

All three GOP presidential contenders have met privately with Pence in recent days as the Republican governor considered an endorsement in the race.

Pence emphasized that he liked all three candidates and went out of his way to commend Trump for giving "a voice to the frustration" with Washington and for taking "a strong stand for Hoosier jobs."

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“I urge every Hoosier to make up their own mind," he said. "But for me I’ve always thought to lead is to choose, and here at this time of choosing when people all across America are looking to Indiana to make a decision, I just wanted to make my decision known.”

Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, told reporters in Indianapolis on Friday morning that he didn't know whether Pence would endorse, but he praised the governor's leadership.

The endorsement carries some risk for Pence, who risks alienating his party's presidential front-runner and some Trump supporters, who have been packing rallies across the state by the thousands. But the governor has been under intense pressure from Cruz supporters and anti-Trump forces to get behind Cruz.

Pence is also close with Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the third candidate in the race, but Kasich announced Sunday he would abandon his campaign in Indiana to focus on western states where he is expected to perform better. Cruz has said he would not campaign in Oregon or New Mexico in exchange. The partnership quickly frayed, though, after Kasich encouraged Hoosiers to still vote for him and Cruz told reporters there "is no alliance."

Trump was leading Cruz in two Indiana polls last week, but Pence has publicly criticized Trump after he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States and after he suggested women should be punished for seeking illegal abortions.

In announcing his support for Cruz, though, he made clear he would "work my heart out" for whichever candidate emerges as the GOP nominee.

Trump's Indiana campaign declined to comment prior to Pence's formal announcement at noon.

But Sullivan County Republican Chairman Bill Springer, a Trump backer, said the endorsement would only bolster support for Trump.

"People's got the idea that Trump's the outsider. Down here that’s just going to reinforce that Trump is the outsider," he said. "If I was smart and giving (Pence) political advice — if it was me personally — I would have stayed out of it. All he’s going to do is make people mad."

Pence's announcement on Garrison's show is also interesting because the radio host was the attorney who successfully prosecuted boxer Mike Tyson on rape charges in Indianapolis in the early 1990s.

Trump touted Tyson's endorsement as recently as Wednesday.

"But when I get endorsed by the tough ones, I like it, because you know what? We need toughness now. We need toughness," Trump told a crowd of about 5,000 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Trump supported Tyson after the rape conviction, saying that "to a large extent" he was "railroaded." Trump had a financial interest in the case because Tyson's fights made money for his hotels.

Carly Fiorina, Cruz's running mate, characterized Tyson in a different way. "Sorry. I don't consider a convicted rapist a 'tough guy,'" she said this morning in Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, all three candidates — Trump, Cruz, and Kasich — are scheduled to address this weekend's California Republican Party Convention, seeking to woo potential delegates ahead of the state's June 7 primary.

It's a rare convention appearance for Trump, who has protested Cruz's lobbying efforts at similar meetings in other states.

Contributing: David Jackson, USA TODAY

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