The National Border Patrol Council endorsed Senator Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate Tuesday while the senator campaigned in Edinburg, Texas.

Introducing Cruz as a "true friend of the border patrol," union president Brandon Judd said he hoped Cruz would someday be "future President Ted Cruz."

Judd claimed that the union does not seek out candidates to endorse, preferring that candidates come to them, but noted that Cruz is the exception.

"Senator Ted Cruz is the only person that we've ever reached out to and said, 'You are who we want, you have the morals, you have the ethics, you can bring true change to this country, you can secure the border,'" Judd said.

Cruz delivered a stump speech praising the "heroes" of the border patrol.

Cruz did not mention his general election opponent, Democratic challenger Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who announced a surprisingly strong fundraising haul of $6.7 million for the first quarter of 2018. The sum, if accurate, would be the most funds raised by any Democratic candidate in the country last quarter, according to the O'Rourke campaign. The campaign claims it has received more than 141,000 contributions, refusing to accept donations from political action committees.