Ted Cruz (politician)

Ted Cruz (politician)
Name	Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz
Caption	Cruz in 2019
Birth date	22 December 1970
Birth place	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	Princeton University, Harvard Law School
Occupation	Politician, Lawyer, Academic
Party	Republican Party
Offices	United States Senator from Texas

Ted Cruz (politician) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as a United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, he is known for his conservative positions, confrontational rhetorical style, and prominence in debates over Affordable Care Act, immigration policy, and judicial appointments. Cruz rose to national attention through high-profile litigation and commentary and mounted a campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

Early life and education

Cruz was born Rafael Edward Cruz in Calgary, Alberta to Eleanor Darragh Wilson and Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, a Cuban-born engineer and political activist who later became a naturalized United States citizen. The family moved to Houston, Texas where Cruz attended Belen Jesuit Preparatory School and later graduated from Second Baptist School (Houston). He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Princeton University where he completed a senior thesis under dean Harold James and was active in Undergraduate Student Government and conservative organizations linked to Allison Chou-era campus politics. Cruz then attended Harvard Law School, serving as an editor of the Harvard Law Review and participating in moot court competitions influenced by traditions at Yale Law School and Columbia Law School.

Legal and academic career

After law school Cruz clerked for Judge J. Michael Luttig of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and for Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the Supreme Court of the United States. He worked in private practice at firms engaged in appellate litigation and argued cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, including matters touching on the Presidential pardon power and challenges related to the National Labor Relations Board. Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas under Attorney General Greg Abbott and represented the state in disputes with the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Education, and in cases about same-sex marriage and voting rights. He also held academic posts as a lecturer at Harvard Law School and engaged with think tanks such as the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and the Federalist Society.

U.S. Senate career

Cruz won the 2012 United States Senate election in Texas defeating Democratic nominee Paul Sadler and was sworn in to the United States Senate in January 2013. In the Senate he has served on committees including the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Cruz led high-profile initiatives opposing the Affordable Care Act and joined with senators such as Rand Paul and Marco Rubio on conservative reforms related to taxation and regulation. He played a central role in the 2013 federal budget standoff and a 2013 government shutdown effort, collaborating with figures from the Tea Party movement and activists associated with Club for Growth and FreedomWorks. Cruz has been influential in confirming conservative jurists to the federal judiciary and has engaged in foreign policy debates involving Iran nuclear deal, Israel, and relations with Russia.

2016 presidential campaign

Cruz announced his candidacy for the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries and competed in a field including Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Ted. His campaign emphasized opposition to the Affordable Care Act, support for smaller government and free market policies advocated by Milton Friedman-inspired libertarian conservatives, and advocacy for originalist judicial philosophy championed by Antonin Scalia and Robert Bork. Cruz won the Iowa Republican caucuses and carried states such as Texas and Alaska during the nomination contest, but ultimately lost the nomination to Donald Trump, who secured the Republican ticket. The campaign featured policy clashes over trade, immigration, and foreign policy and included controversies over alliances with figures like Steve Bannon and endorsements from groups such as National Rifle Association.

Political positions and ideology

Cruz is broadly identified with conservative and constitutional originalism currents associated with the Federalist Society and advocates for limited federal authority, lower taxes, and deregulation. He has opposed the Affordable Care Act and supported repeal and replacement proposals backed by groups like Americans for Prosperity and Club for Growth. On immigration Cruz has supported stricter enforcement measures, border security projects tied to Secure Fence Act, and legal changes affecting DACA enacted under Barack Obama. In foreign affairs he has taken hawkish positions on Iran and emphasized strong ties to Israel, also advocating for increased defense capabilities aligned with policies of the Department of Defense and allies in NATO. Cruz has championed Second Amendment rights, aligned with the National Rifle Association, and opposed many environmental regulations promoted by the Environmental Protection Agency and supporters of the Paris Agreement. His judicial philosophy favors originalist and textualist nominees to the Supreme Court of the United States and lower federal courts, praising figures such as Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

Personal life

Cruz is married to Heidi Cruz, an investment professional who worked at Goldman Sachs and in the George W. Bush administration; the couple has two daughters. He is a member of First Baptist Church (Houston)-style evangelical communities and has spoken in forums alongside religious leaders connected to the National Prayer Breakfast and conservative Christian networks such as Focus on the Family. Cruz holds dual citizenship by birth in Canada and later renounced Canadian citizenship to emphasize United States naturalization status. Outside politics he has written op-eds for publications like The Wall Street Journal and appeared on television networks including Fox News and MSNBC.

Category:United States senators from Texas Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians