Fifty Wisconsin faith leaders joined Governor Scott Walker in endorsing Sen. Ted Cruz for president this week.
The news comes as Cruz surged in polling this week and frontrunner Donald Trump hit some new controversy on the campaign trail. A Marquette Law School poll released Wednesday showed that Cruz jumped 21 points from 19 percent in February to 40 in the March poll, while Trump held steady at 30 percent of likely Republican voters in Wisconsin.
Cruz also made a trip to California this week to appear on the late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, hold a high-dollar fundraiser, and meet with the lion’s share of more than 100 Californians slated as delegates for Cruz.
In the days leading up to the March 15 Missouri and Florida primary contests, Cruz picked up endorsements from over 100 faith leaders. While Cruz and frontrunner Donald Trump came out neck-and-neck in Missouri, Trump took a resounding win in Florida over home-state competitor Sen. Marco Rubio, with Cruz in third.
On Saturday, Cruz will host a screening of God’s Not Dead 2 in Green Bay.
“Everything Ted Cruz says he would do, he has done. He fears God, and he understands the fact that this country was founded through the inspiration of the Word of God,” said Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, a former Green Bay Packers defensive, now serving as a deacon at Living Hope Church in Green Bay.
List of endorsements released Friday:
Julaine Appling, president, Wisconsin Family Action
Jeanette Bantamoi, ministry leader
Pastor James Booker, Full Gospel Church
Associate Pastor Joel Bosacki, Living Hope Church
C. Patrick Boyer, president, Leap of Faith Group
Reverend Corey A. Brookins, Berea Baptist Church
Tom Coulter, ministry leader
Pastor Andrew Doll, Bible Baptist Church
Elisabeth Dubois, VP, Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage, Celebration Church
Pastor Lathan Duncan
Pastor Thomas Ebert, Shalom Baptist Church
Pastor Daniel J. Fiedler, Shawano Christian Center, Inc.
Deacon Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Living Hope Church
Pastor Stephen Gorton, Bible Baptist Church
Heather Grambsch, life group leader, Celebration Church
Pastor Timothy Hallett, Birch St. Baptist Church
Tim Harmann, ministry leader
Lisa Harmann, ministry leader
Pastor Randall Hoffman, Harbor Lights Baptist Church
Senior Pastor Paul Hoover, Souls Harbor Baptist Church
Ronald Jung, headmaster, Providence Academy
Pastor Chris Juvinall, Wausau Bible Church
James Kocian, associate pastor and worship leader, Living Hope Church
Pastor Ken Kramer, Calvary Baptist Church
Senior Pastor Randall Lassila, Lighthouse Assembly of God
Senior Pastor Michael D. LeClaire, Living Hope Church
Michael LeMay, general manager, Q90 FM Radio
David Lingle, director of church relations, Wisconsin Family Council
Pastor Tom Loggans, Greendale Baptist Church
Pastor Robert Love, Waupun Baptist Church
Reverend Matthew Mallek, Refuge Church
Pastor Tim and Janice Mandich, Able Church
Pastor Curtis McMiller, Foundation Biblical Baptist Church
Pastor David Moore, Keystone Baptist Church
Elder Craig O Connor, Living Hope Church
Pastor Peter Ostrander
Gary Pusick, life group leader, Celebration Church
Pastor Daniel Reehoff, Dayspring Baptist Church
Senior Pastor Brian Richard, Grace Baptist Church
Pastor Richard Rogers, Calvary Baptist Church
Senior Pastor Rodney Schuler, Calvary Baptist Church
Pastor James Schumacher, Apostolic Faith Church
Brian Sikma, Media Trackers, former evangelist
Pastor Kelvin Swanson, Berean Baptist Church
Aaron Thiel, Christian author
Amanda Thompson, grassroots leader for Salt and Light Committee, Celebration Church
Joseph Thompson, life group leader, Celebration Church
Assistant Pastor Stephen Van Gelderen, Falls Baptist Church
Rebecca Wilkinson, ministry leader
Jennifer Zyzo, homeschool leader
Appling said, “I’m excited that we are not being asked to choose between the lesser of two evils at the ballot box – in Ted Cruz, we have a champion to support!”
The endorsement follows endorsements this week from the Wisconsin Family Action PAC and Wisconsin Right to Life PAC.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana.