Texas lieutenant governor urged for Trump visit to bolster Cruz: report

© AP Photo/Eric Gay Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick arrives for the Texas GOP Convention, Friday, June 15, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

By Brett Samuels, The Hill

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick personally requested President Trump get involved in Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) reelection to boost turnout amid an increasingly close campaign, Politico reported Sunday.

Patrick, who was chairman of Trump's 2016 campaign in Texas, reportedly asked White House officials during a July trip to Washington, D.C., about sending Trump to the state to campaign on Cruz's behalf. The lieutenant governor argued that an appearance from Trump would provide a necessary turnout boost for state Republicans, Politico reported.

The Hill has reached out to both Patrick and the White House for comment.

Patrick's reported request was soon followed by Cruz saying he'd "welcome" a visit from Trump during campaign season. Late last month, the president followed through, announcing he planned to hold a rally at "the biggest stadium in Texas we can find."

The date and location of the rally has yet to be announced.

Trump and Cruz frequently exchanged barbs during the 2016 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump labeled the senator "Lyin' Ted" and mocked his family, while Cruz called the then-candidate a "sniveling coward" and a "pathological liar."

Cruz is running against Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) in November's election. O'Rourke has generated significant enthusiasm among Democrats, raising millions of dollars in the process.

While Cruz remains the favorite in the solidly-Republican Texas, a RealClearPolitics average of polls shows O'Rourke within striking distance, trailing by roughly 4 percentage points.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpolitical election forecaster, shifted the race last month from "likely Republican" to "lean Republican."

Even some in the White House have acknowledged there is a chance O'Rourke could pull off the upset. Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney reportedly told supporters at a closed-door meeting that it was a "very real possibility" that Republican could lose the election in Texas.