Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who previously ran for the 2016 Republican presidential race, has endored fellow Texan Ted Cruz in the race to secure the GOP 2016 nomination.

Perry's endorsement, likely strategic, comes one week before the crucial first-in-the-nation caucuses open in Iowa, closely followed by polls opening in New Hampshire.

"Of those individuals who have a chance to win the Republican primary, at this juncture, from my perspective, Ted Cruz is by far the most consistent conservative in that crowd," Perry recently told reporters. "And that appears to be down to two people."

After less than 100 days of formal campaigning, Perry officially dropped out of the race last September after stalled poll numbers and lackluster fund-raising became too much for him to overcome.

He has long been a loud and persistent critic of Trump, particularly during the final few weeks of his campaign when he branded him a "cancer on conservatism" and blasted him for what he deemed his "nativist appeals."

As for Cruz, Perry added, "He knows he's going to surround himself with people who do have that experience, and I'm very satisfied that on Day 1, he will be ready to be commander-in-chief."

The news comes at an opportune time for Cruz, who over the last several days has been forced to stand by as Trump gained the endorsement of Tea Party favorite and 2008 vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, currently polling in third place in the state, also recently gained the endorsement of the Des Moines Register newspaper, which has thrown its support behind the eventual Republican nominee since 1996.

In addition, several recent Iowa polls have shown Trump stretching his lead to as large as 11 percentage points, as Cruz's advantage among evangelicals all but dissolved.

"I'd rather see folks come together, work together to find solutions, but from time to time, you've got to lay the marker down," Perry said when quizzed bout Cruz's hardline stance on many critical issues.

Cruz previously served as solicitor general during Perry's administration in Texas.

Related