Rick Santorum, a favorite of religious-right activists, has endorsed Ted Cruz in the Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate seat from Texas. Religious-right leaders meeting at a Texas ranch last January endorsed Santorum in his bid for the GOP presidential nomination. Santorum suspended his campaign in April.
In addition to his opposition to equal rights for gay Americans and to abortion, Santorum thinks states should have the right to ban contraception. He has also argued that health insurance shouldn’t cover prenatal testing because such procedures, he says, lead to more abortions. And he calls colleges “indoctrination mills” that threaten the country because they lead students to question their religious faith.
Earlier this month Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin also endorsed Cruz, a former solicitor general for Texas.
Polls show that the frontrunner in the Texas Senate race is Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Dewhurst has the support of various religious-right leaders as well, including former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Gov. Rick Perry is also backing Dewhurst.
Other Republican candidates for the Senate seat include former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and former ESPN commentator Craig James.
Four Democrats, including former Texas House Public Education Committee chairman Paul Sadler, are also seeking the Senate seat.
