Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz
Name	Ted Cruz
Caption	United States Senator from Texas
State	Texas
Term start	January 3, 2013
Predecessor	Kay Bailey Hutchison
Office1	Solicitor General of Texas
Governor1	Rick Perry
Term start1	2003
Term end1	2008
Predecessor1	Greg Abbott
Successor1	James C. Ho
Party	Republican
Spouse	Heidi Nelson (m. 2001)
Alma mater	Princeton University (AB), Harvard Law School (JD)
Birth name	Rafael Edward Cruz
Birth date	22 December 1970
Birth place	Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Ted Cruz. Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, he was a candidate for President of the United States in 2016 and is known as a leading figure in the Tea Party movement and conservative politics. His tenure in the United States Senate has been marked by staunch conservatism, high-profile confrontations with Democratic leadership, and a focus on constitutionalist legal arguments.

Early life and education

Rafael Edward Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, to Eleanor Darragh and Rafael Cruz, who had emigrated from Cuba to Texas. He spent much of his childhood in Houston, where his father became a pastor and his mother worked in the energy industry. Cruz attended Second Baptist School before graduating as valedictorian from Robert E. Lee High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in public policy from Princeton University in 1992, where he was a national champion on the American Whig-Cliosophic Society's debate team. Cruz then attended Harvard Law School, graduating *magna cum laude* in 1995 and serving as an editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Legal and early political career

After law school, Cruz served as a law clerk to J. Michael Luttig on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and then for Chief Justice William Rehnquist on the Supreme Court of the United States. He worked in the Bush administration as an associate deputy attorney general at the United States Department of Justice and as director of policy planning at the Federal Trade Commission. Cruz served as the Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008 under Attorney General Greg Abbott, arguing nine cases before the Supreme Court. He later worked in private practice at the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Houston.

U.S. Senate career

Cruz was elected to the United States Senate in 2012, defeating the Democratic nominee Paul Sadler. He quickly gained national attention for his role in the 2013 government shutdown in an effort to defund the Affordable Care Act. In the Senate, he serves on the Judiciary Committee, the Commerce Committee, and the Foreign Relations Committee. He has been a vocal critic of the Iran nuclear deal, a leading advocate for Second Amendment rights, and a proponent of originalist judicial appointments, playing a key role in the confirmations of justices like Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett.

2016 presidential campaign

Cruz launched his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in March 2015 at Liberty University. He won the Iowa caucuses and several other states, positioning himself as the main conservative alternative to Donald Trump. His campaign was noted for its strong support from evangelical voters and groups like the Club for Growth. After a series of primary losses, he suspended his campaign in May 2016 following the Indiana primary. The campaign was marked by intense rivalry with Donald Trump, including personal attacks and Cruz's notable decision not to endorse Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Political positions and public image

Cruz is a staunch conservative known for his libertarian-leaning views on economic issues and his social conservatism. He is a strong supporter of free-market policies, deregulation, and a flat tax, and is a prominent opponent of gun control and abortion. He has been a critic of climate change legislation and the Environmental Protection Agency. His public image is polarizing; he is hailed by supporters as a principled constitutionalist but criticized by opponents as an obstructionist. His actions, such as his filibuster against the Affordable Care Act and his objection to the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, have cemented his status as a divisive figure in American politics.

Personal life

Cruz married Heidi Nelson in 2001; she is an investment manager and former economic advisor in the George W. Bush White House. They have two daughters and reside in Houston. Cruz is a Southern Baptist and has authored several books, including *A Time for Truth*. In 2021, he faced significant criticism for traveling to Cancún during a severe winter power crisis in Texas. An avid fan of the Star Wars franchise, he has occasionally incorporated references to it in his public communications.

Category:United States senators from Texas Category:American solicitors general Category:21st-century American politicians