Rick Perry endorses Cruz ahead of Iowa caucuses

By NBP Staff | January 25, 2016, 14:03 EST

Former Republican presidential candidate, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, waves to the crowd as he steps to the podium to speak at the RedState Gathering in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

WASHINGTON – Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry threw his support to the Lone Star State’s junior senator Sunday, backing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in an interview with Politico.com.

Perry, who abandoned his second run for the GOP nod last year, reiterated his backing on Twitter Monday, pronouncing the state’s former solicitor general as “ready to be Commander-in-Chief on Day 1. I proudly endorse him for president!”

Cruz battled with Perry ally David Dewhurst to win his Senate seat in 2012, besting the state’s lieutenant governor in a runoff for the Texas Republican Party’s nomination. He went on to beat Democratic state Rep. Paul Sadler with the help of tea party favorites Sarah Palin and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, now one of the contenders for the GOP presidential nomination. Palin endorsed another 2016 candidate, Donald Trump, last week.

But whatever bad blood may have lingered between the two Lone Star State political figures appears to have faded.

“I am supporting Ted Cruz and asking Iowa Republicans to caucus for Cruz” Perry said on Twitter Monday morning.

“Thank you for your support, Governor!” Cruz said on Twitter.

To Trump, Perry is part of the Republican “establishment,” which may come as a surprise to Perry:

“not surprised to see the establishment lining up for Ted,” Trump said on Twitter.

“Of those individuals who have a chance to win the Republican primary, at this juncture, from my perspective, Ted Cruz is by far the most consistent conservative in that crowd,” Perry said on Sunday, according to Politico. “And that appears to be down to two people.”

The website said Perry will also campaign for Cruz in Iowa ahead of the party caucuses on Feb. 1.