Rep. Jeb Hensarling has endorsed Republican presidential candidate and fellow Texan Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Trump endorses Cornyn for reelection as O'Rourke mulls challenge MORE in an effort to derail controversial businessman Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE, the GOP front-runner.

“I believe that now is the time for Republicans and conservatives to unite behind the candidate who can not only win in November, but who will govern according to the principles we advocate and share,” Hensarling said in a statement Thursday.

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“We are down to two candidates who can secure the Republican nomination — Donald Trump and Ted Cruz,” Hensarling said, dismissing the chances of Ohio Gov. John Kasich. “Based on Donald Trump’s track record, I have serious questions about his commitment to the conservative cause.”

Hensarling, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, was in the spotlight last year for leading the push to block reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, which Cruz, the junior senator from Texas, also opposed.

He is the ninth Texas lawmaker to throw their support behind Cruz, who is pushing to coalesce support from those on the right in an effort to derail Trump.