Cruz endorses GOP candidate for Senate in New Hampshire

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Thursday endorsed New Hampshire Republican candidate Bill O’Brien for the 2020 New Hampshire Senate race. 

“.@OBrienForNH would make a Senator who would make the state of New Hampshire proud!” Cruz tweeted. “I hope you will join me in supporting him.”

.@OBrienForNH would make a Senator who would make the state of New Hampshire proud! #NHPolitics #NHSen

I hope you will join me in supporting him –> https://t.co/yvrDG7H2Ry

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 19, 2019

He elaborated on his endorsement in an interview with conservative radio host Jeff Kuhner, calling O’Brien a “principled conservative” who “knows how to produce results.”

“Bill O’Brien has a backbone. He is willing to stand up to do the right thing even if the lobbyists and the special interests, they don’t like it,” Cruz said. 

“I think he would make a phenomenal senator from new Hampshire and I’m very proud to stand with him,” he added. {mosads}

Cruz’s endorsement for the former New Hampshire state House Speaker comes as former Trump campaign aide Corey Lewandowski mulls entering the GOP primary.  

As he testified before the House on Tuesday, Lewandowski tweeted out a website that appears to boost a potential Senate bid.

The next day, he appeared on Fox News and said he was “very close” to announcing his decision on whether he would enter the race. 

Asked about Lewandowski’s possible bid, Cruz said “I like Corey, I know Corey … I don’t know if he’s going to get in the race or not.”

“What I do know is Bill is in the race and Bill has been a proven conservative leader,” he added. 

A recent Emerson University poll showed Lewandowski leading both O’Brien and Don Bolduc in the state’s Republican primary. The former Trump aide had 23 percent of the vote, while Bolduc had 9 percent, O’Brien had 7 percent and 56 percent were undecided. 

The seat O’Brien and the others are running for is held by Jeanne Shaheen (D). The Cook Political report rated the race as “Solid Democrat.”