Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is making a more forceful case that he — not Donald Trump — is the candidate true conservative voters will coalesce behind in the 2016 presidential race.

Cruz worked to align himself with Trump earlier in the campaign and isn’t smacking the billionaire with insults now.

But in a two-day swing through New Hampshire, he’s drawing sharper contrasts with Trump and the rest of the GOP field. Cruz says he’s the only candidate with a proven record of standing up to Washington, on health care, immigration and more.

Cruz says if conservatives continue to rally behind his candidacy, he’ll be well positioned to take on the more moderate candidates now in a bruising fight to emerge as the establishment favorite.

(AP)