Cruz picks up top evangelical endorsement

The founder of the social conservative advocacy group Focus on the Family has endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for president.

Christian radio host James Dobson said on Thursday that Cruz is the best candidate in the Republican primary field when it comes to religious liberty and preserving the traditional definition of marriage.

“Ted Cruz’s record on religious liberty, life, and marriage is second to none in this Republican field,” Dobson said in a statement released by the Cruz campaign. “I have met with the senator on multiple occasions: he is brilliant, articulate, and informed.”

{mosads}“Shirley and I have been praying for a leader such as this, and we are confident that Ted Cruz has the moral and spiritual foundations to lead our nation with excellence,” he added.

“Speaking as private individuals, we urge conservatives and people of faith to join us in supporting his race for the presidency.”

Cruz has accumulated a significant evangelical backing in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Last week, the conservative firebrand won the endorsement of Bob Vander Plaats, an influential Christian leader in Iowa. 

A Des Moines Register/Bloomberg poll last week found Cruz with a 10-point lead in the Iowa caucuses, spearheaded by 45 percent of the evangelical vote.