Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday endorsed former Republican Rep. Matt Salmon in the Arizona governor's race, saying he would fight "the Biden administration’s socialist policies."
Cruz, a Texas Republican, praised Salmon, who ran for governor in 2002 and now is a lobbyist.
"I'm proud to stand with my friend and proven conservative, Matt Salmon. As governor, Matt will make the safety and security of all Arizonans his top priority. He will fight to protect Arizona from the Biden Administration’s socialist policies. And Matt will continue the work, which started when he was in Congress, to defend Arizona from all threats, including those increasingly from foreign and state actors, while standing unapologetically in conservative principle. I ask fellow conservatives in Arizona to join me in supporting Matt’s campaign for governor," Cruz said, accoring to Fox News.
Salmon has described Arizona as "under attack" from Democrats at the state and federal level. "We can’t allow liberal politicians to turn Arizona into California," Salmon said. "We must protect the values that have made Arizona a beacon of opportunity," reports The Hill.
Cruz has been viewed as polarizing by some with his support of Trump in the 2020 failed election and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
His support of candidate Glenn Youngkin in Virginia's gubernatorial contest has been used by Democrat nominee Terry McAuliff as a fundraising point.
"Youngkin’s embrace of far-right characters like Ted Cruz is further proof that he’s wrong for Virginia," said Virginia Democratic Party spokesman Manuel Bonder, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Salmon is one of at least eight people actively running to replace Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, reports Phoenix's KTAR News. Ducey's second term ends in 2023, and he must leave due to Arizona’s two-term limit.
Other Republican candidates include former news anchor Kari Lake, businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson, and Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, also is running.
Salmon represented Arizona in Congress from 1995 to 2001 and then from 2013 to 2017. He ran for governor in 2002 and narrowly lost to Democrat Janet Napolitano, according to Ballotpedia.
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