Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzSenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg Cruz: Trump should nominate a Supreme Court justice next week Renewed focus on Trump's Supreme Court list after Ginsburg's death MORE endorsed Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel on Tuesday in his bid for an Ohio Senate seat.

Cruz backed Mandel in a statement lauding the candidate, who is looking to win the right for a rematch against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown Sherrod Campbell BrownBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Emboldened Democrats haggle over 2021 agenda Hillicon Valley: Russia 'amplifying' concerns around mail-in voting to undermine election | Facebook and Twitter take steps to limit Trump remarks on voting | Facebook to block political ads ahead of election MORE, as the type of "conservative leader" that Ohio needs.

The endorsement comes amid recent rumblings about an unexpected primary challenger for Mandel.

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"When I first met Josh five years ago, I was immediately impressed by his dedication and passion for advancing conservative principles. He has shown his willingness to stand up and fight for those values, leading the charge in Ohio to stop sanctuary cities, crack down on illegal immigration, and put an end to Common Core," Cruz said.

"I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with him in the Senate and encourage all Republicans to do the same."

Mandel is the clear front-runner in the GOP primary, having served as a state lawmaker before taking over as state treasurer. Mandel lost by 6 points to Brown in 2012.

Cruz's endorsement puts a key conservative figure in Mandel's corner, thanks to the Texas senator's grip on the GOP grassroots. Mandel has sought to position an impressive slate of national Republicans behind his bid in the hopes of shoring up support within the party.

GOP Sens. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioFlorida senators pushing to keep Daylight Savings Time during pandemic Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE (Fla.) and Tom Cotton Tom Bryant CottonRenewed focus on Trump's Supreme Court list after Ginsburg's death Republicans call for DOJ to prosecute Netflix executives for releasing 'Cuties' Loeffler calls for hearing in wake of Netflix's 'Cuties' MORE (Ark.) have already endorsed him, and Rob Portman Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanRomney undecided on authorizing subpoenas for GOP Obama-era probes Congress needs to prioritize government digital service delivery House passes B bill to boost Postal Service MORE, Ohio's senior Republican senator, backed him last week.

It hasn't all been smooth sailing for Mandel, the only major candidate in the race. He's bristled at times at the Republican establishment in his state — such as when the GOP-controlled legislature cut the treasurer's advertising budget amid concerns about his official spending ahead of his Senate race.

And Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) warned Mandel earlier this month that he may not endorse Mandel if "he's a negative guy."

But Mandel has embraced the political stylings of President Trump, who won his state in November by a surprisingly strong 8-point margin. He announced his senatorial bid with a call to "drain the swamp" and blasted a "rigged system," — two clear call-backs to Trump's campaign.

He's apparently hoping that the support from high-profile Republicans and the Trump coalition will help to put him on solid footing against Brown.

Jake Strassberger, an Ohio Democratic Party spokesman, blasted the endorsement in a statement to The Hill.

"These early endorsements aren't a sign of Josh's strength, they're simply an attempt to distract from the fact that the state GOP-controlled legislature is currently cleaning up the mess Josh created by running self-promotional TV ads on the public's dime," he said.