In his latest video ad, Republican attorney general candidate Ken Paxton, is touting remarks — friendly ones, but short of an endorsement — made by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz at a recent stop in Terrell.

Paxton, a state senator from McKinney, is running in the Republican primary against state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Barry Smitherman, the chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission.

At a Kaufman County Republican Party event, Cruz — to whom many Republican primary candidates have tried to link themselves — described Paxton as a “tireless conservative warrior” and referred to him as a “friend.”

However, the nice words don’t necessarily amount to an endorsement. A spokeswoman for Cruz said he has not endorsed in any primaries and remains unlikely to do so.

Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here.

 Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.