Former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush has endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz for president, calling him a “principled conservative”.
Bush, former governor of Florida, dropped out of the race last month after poor showings in state contests, saying Cruz has shown the ability to appeal to voters and win primary contests, like in Utah on Tuesday.
Republicans must “overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity” Donald Trump has introduced, he said.
If not, the party will certainly lose the White House to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, Bush wrote in a Facebook post.
“Republicans can win back the White House and put our nation on a path to security and prosperity if we support a nominee who can unite our party and articulate how conservative policies will help people rise up and reach their full potential,” he wrote, and linked to Cruz’s website.
Cruz, speaking to CNN on Wednesday, said Bush’s endorsement proved his candidacy had garnered support among Republicans.
Former 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also recently endorsed Cruz, strongly urging fellow Republicans not to back Donald Trump, a billionaire businessman from New York with no prior political experience.
Trump, the party’s front-runner, currently has the highest delegate count and has said there may be “riots” if he is denied the Republican nomination come the party’s convention this summer.
Anti-Trump Republicans are hoping for a brokered convention, in which party officials, not delegates, would chose the nominee, but that is only possible if Mr Trump falls short of the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination.
After contests in Utah and Arizona on Tuesday, Trump has 739 delegates and Cruz has 465.
When Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, was still in the race, Mr Trump called him “pathological”. Now Carson has endorsed him.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who attacked Mr Trump on the campaign trail, backs the businessman now that he is out of the race.
Former Republican presidential candidates Carly Fiorina and Lindsey Graham have also endorsed Cruz.
Cruz has urged Ohio Governor John Kasich to drop out of the race, and said he would probably find a place for him in his administration.
He said Kasich was a “spoiler” by taking votes that could go to him and help the Republicans defeat Trump.
The nasty battle between the leading Republicans worsened this week when Trump warned Cruz he would “spills the beans on your wife” after an anti-Trump group ran ads in Utah featuring a racy photo of Trump’s wife Melania from an old GQ magazine spread.
Cruz said in response: “Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you’re more of a coward than I thought.”
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