One day after Sen. Marco Rubio suspended his presidential campaign, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said “my hope and my prayer” is that Ted Cruz wins the GOP nomination, according to The Post and Courier newspaper.
Haley, who endorsed Rubio prior to the South Carolina primary last month, remained reluctant to say whether she would support Donald Trump if he becomes the GOP’s nominee, according to the Courier.
“Ask me when the time comes again, but as of now, I strongly believe I will support the Republican nominee,” she said. “The only thing I can say now is my hope and my prayer is that Sen. Cruz can come through this.”
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“That’s who privately I’m fighting for,” Haley told reporters during a Statehouse press conference about family services and the Department of Social Services. “I do see a path for him, because I think he’s been solid and strong the entire way. I think that he’s been disciplined in the way that he’s done it.”
Haley’s endorsement was seen as a huge get for Rubio, who finished in second place behind Donald Trump by 10 points in the Palmetto State primary.
Haley has campaigned heavily against Trump, saying back in February that Trump is “everything a governor doesn’t want in a president.”
The Cruz campaign has yet to comment on the news, but did retweet the Courier’s article and several other news stories.
Gov. @nikkihaley siding with @tedcruz after @marcorubio drops out of presidential race. https://t.co/DnjhevAFXM pic.twitter.com/h5x8wdzZuv
— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) March 16, 2016
Per NBC News’ count, Haley’s endorsement marks the third time a sitting governor has publicly supported the Texas senator. And now that Rubio is out of the race, Cruz leads with endorsements from national Republicans–senators, representatives, and governors — with a total of 32.
This article first appeared on NBCNews.com.
Marianna Sotomayor