Cruz nets first endorsement

Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) has endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for president, giving the 2016 contender his first endorsement.

“Ted Cruz is committed to restoring the America we know and love,” Culberson said in a statement. “He will restore the true meaning of the 10th Amendment to get the federal government out of our lives, out of our pockets and out of our way. President Ted Cruz will ensure that Texans truly run Texas.”

Cruz’s campaign has struggled to get support from his colleagues in Congress. Fellow Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) said that he would stay neutral in the Republican primary, and even close ally Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) declined to endorse him.

{mosads}“You know, we’ve got a lot of Texans who are running for president, so I’m going to watch from the sidelines,” Cornyn told Politico in March.

Paul Teller, Cruz’s chief of staff, also reportedly emailed congressional aides this week to ask if their bosses could speak in praise of Cruz, according to Roll Call.

“He wants to show as much congressional support as possible, so anything you could say or do (including tipping me off to who else in the delegation might be supportive), we’d so appreciate,” Teller wrote to one House office, according to the report.

Cruz was the first significant candidate to launch his presidential campaign. He has since made strong gains in fundraising, with super-PACs associated with his campaign reportedly raising $31 million in their first week.

His campaign also raised $4 million in its first nine days.