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Former Republican presidential candidate and businesswomen Carly Fiorina endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at a rally in Miami Wednesday.

Ted Cruz at CNN Townhall in Greenville, South Carolina on February 17, 2016. (Credit: CNN)
Ted Cruz at CNN Townhall in Greenville, South Carolina on February 17, 2016.
(Credit: CNN)

“Last Tuesday we had a primary, and I walked into the ballot box,” she told a crowd of Cruz supporters. “I saw my name on the ballot, and it was kind of a thrill, but I checked the box for Ted Cruz.”

The surprise endorsement comes as Cruz tries to consolidate GOP support and challenge front-runner businessman Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

“When you lead, you must challenge the status quo, and when you challenge the status quo, you make enemies,” Fiorina said of Cruz’s rise.

“There are some people in our party saying Donald Trump isn’t so bad … but he’s a deal maker; he can make deals. The truth is Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are two sides of the same coin. They’re not going to reform the system, they are the system,” she said.