Cruz Campaign Press Release - 50 Wisconsin Clergy and Faith Leaders Endorse Cruz for President

HOUSTON, Texas - Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz today announced the endorsements of 50 Wisconsin faith leaders, including clergy, educators, and activists representing thousands of people of faith in the Badger State. The influx of clergy support comes on the heels of an endorsement for Cruz from Catholic Vote, a political advocacy organization influencing the state's 1.4 million Catholic voters.

"There are enough pretenders in politics - we have been looking for a president who is one of us," said Pastor James Booker of Full Gospel Church in West Bend. "I appreciate the way Ted Cruz brings class and thoughtfulness to the political discourse. We are endorsing Ted as a man of character with a proven respect for the sanctity of life and an intelligent plan for our nation. Ted is the kind of candidate people of faith can rally around - and we don't have to guess what he'll do when he's in office. Ted has spent his life defending religious liberty, and he will continue to do so as president."

The campaign's outreach to clergy began with the public endorsement of over 150 pastors ahead of the Iowa Caucus, a list that has grown to more than 1,000 formal endorsements, with additions in every state along the primary calendar. Cruz has also hosted religious liberty rallies and held a private screening of the Christian movie War Room during the campaign. This Saturday, April 2^nd, Cruz will host a showing of the new movie God's Not Dead 2 in Green Bay. Supporters reserved all available tickets for the event online shortly after they were made accessible.

"I am grateful to have the support of so many people of faith in Wisconsin," said Cruz. "The Obama administration and their extreme liberal allies continue unprecedented attacks on people of faith - from litigating against the Little Sisters of the Poor at the Supreme Court to fining bakers and florists. People of faith should not be forced to choose between relinquishing their deeply-held beliefs or facing punitive fines and the loss of their livelihood. As president, I will tirelessly defend our first freedom, and rather than stifling it, we will champion religious liberty as an indispensable pillar of civil society."

"Senator Cruz is a man of integrity who has kept the promises he made when he ran for Senate," said Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action, the state's leading pro-family organization. "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!"

"Ted Cruz is a man of his word," said Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, formerly a Green Bay Packers defensive and now a Deacon at Living Hope Church 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."

The preliminary list of Wisconsin faith leader endorsements appears below. Titles and affiliations of all endorsers are provided for identification purposes only.

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

Pastor Gordon Scott Jones, Southport 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

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