Ted Cruz to stump for Kelly Craft in heated Kentucky GOP gubernatorial primary

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is stumping for Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Kelly Craft ahead of the Republican primary on May 16.

Craft announced on Thursday that Cruz would join her at two get-out-the-vote rallies May 13 in Louisville and Richmond. 

“Please join my friend Senator Ted Cruz and me at our get out the vote rallies next weekend! #TeamCraft has the energy and momentum going into May 16 and we would love to see you in Louisville and Richmond,” Craft tweeted.

The development comes as recent polling has shown Craft, who served as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. during the Trump administration, trailing behind state Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R). 

An Emerson College Polling/Fox 56 Lexington survey released last month showed Cameron receiving 30 percent support in the GOP gubernatorial primary among very likely Republican primary voters, compared to Craft’s 24 percent. Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles received 15 percent.

More from The Hill: The state’s ‘best days are ahead of us,’ Kraft said upon launching her campaign in September

Polling from Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy released in January also showed Cameron performing the best of four Republican challengers against Gov. Andy Beshear (D) in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. Still, that matchup saw Cameron trailing Beshear at the time at 49 percent to 40 percent.

The GOP primary will be widely watched given that Beshear has unusually high support as a Democrat governing a state that former President Trump won in 2020 by double digits. Despite the fact Craft served as an ambassador during the Trump administration, the former president has endorsed Cameron in the race.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has not endorsed a candidate in the race, though Cameron is a former aide to the Kentucky Republican.