Cruz throws support behind Roy Moore in Alabama Senate race

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is throwing his support behind Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore (R) ahead of the December special election.

Cruz praised Moore in a post on his website Tuesday, portraying the former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice as a constitutional conservative.

“[Voters] can choose a liberal Democrat, who will stand with Chuck Schumer to raise taxes, weaken our military, open our border, and undermine our constitutional rights. Or, they can choose to elect Judge Roy Moore, a conservative who will proudly defend Alabama values,” Cruz wrote.

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Cruz also praised Moore’s “lifelong passion for the Constitution and Bill of Rights.”

Cruz is the latest conservative GOP senator to back Moore ahead of the special election Dec. 12, when Moore faces off against Democrat Doug Jones.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) endorsed Moore last week, saying the judge has “spent a lifetime defending and standing up for the Constitution,” and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) also endorsed Moore.

A Fox News poll last week found Moore and Jones tied with 42 percent support each.

A number of controversial comments Moore has previously made have seen renewed attention during his Senate campaign.

Moore once argued the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage was “even worse” than its ruling that found African Americans were not citizens, and therefore property, and during a campaign speech in September, Moore lamented racial divisions between “reds and yellows.”

CNN previously reported that Moore implied during a speech to a church congregation in February that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks could have been caused by a lack of religious faith.

Moore, who defeated Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.) in a GOP primary runoff last month, is running for the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.