Alan Hays is Ted Cruz‘ champion in Tallahassee.

The state senator from Umatilla is the co-chairman – along with Lakeland Rep. Neil Combee – of the Texas senator’s presidential campaign in Florida. He’ll be among the special guests appearing at a rally for Cruz this Saturday in Clearwater. The rally will be sans Cruz, who will be otherwise engaged in South Carolina this weekend.

“He has proven that he is willing to stand up against the establishment,” Hays said Tuesday afternoon, after the Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections meeting.

“We’re in the predicament that we are in this country because of 40 years of going on to get along, and that just has to stop,” saying Cruz has demonstrated he’s best person to be president.

“I’m not talking about one party or another, I’m talking about leading our nation to a return to her founding principles,” Hays said. “Those founding principles allowed it to become the world’s greatest economic power, the greatest military, the world’s most go-to-people when any disaster hits. They don’t go to Guatemala, they don’t go to Mexico. They go to the U.S., and we’re always there. And as we continue sliding down, we’re not going to be able to answer the call.”

Hays was in the Florida House several years with Marco Rubio. He wouldn’t say much about the former Florida House Speaker, other than to say that he considers Rubio “a bright young man.” He said, however, he’s chosen to place his faith and trust in Cruz.

What about the perception that Cruz doesn’t play well with others, and could have problems bringing the country together?

Hays says sometimes it’s cruel to be kind to break through the establishment.

“I know that while they say that, but sometimes it’s necessary to be rather dogmatic to take a stand on principle and I’ve said many times that really to be effective, one needs to embrace the principle of compromise, without compromising your principals. And I think that’s what Ted does, and it’s not popular at times, but you can’t be wishy-washy. One of the reasons that we’re here today is because of too many wishy-washy decisions that have been made and Ted is the one I think that not only can, but has demonstrated that allegiance.”

The “Cruz n the Coast” rally will start 1 p.m. Saturday at the Quaker Steak & Lube at 10400 49th St. N. in Clearwater.