Ted Cruz

Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz is the junior United States Senator from Texas, representing the Republican Party since 2013. Born on December 22, 1970, in Calgary, Alberta, he moved to Houston, Texas, at age four. Cruz attended Princeton University, where he was a champion debater, and later graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. Following his education, he served as a law clerk for Judge J. Michael Luttig of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and for Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist. He then entered private practice and worked as a domestic policy advisor for the 2000 George W. Bush presidential campaign before serving in roles at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. Cruz served as the Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008, where he argued nine cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including successfully defending the constitutionality of a Ten Commandments monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012, defeating the Lieutenant Governor of Texas in a high-profile Republican primary and winning the general election to succeed Kay Bailey Hutchison. In the Senate, he has been a prominent conservative voice, serving on committees such as Judiciary, Foreign Relations, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Cruz ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, finishing as the runner-up in the primary process. He was re-elected to the Senate in 2018 and 2024.

Ted Cruz maintains a platform rooted in constitutional originalism and limited government. On economic issues, he advocates for a simplified flat tax, significant deregulation, and a balanced budget amendment to reduce federal spending. He is a vocal critic of the Affordable Care Act, supporting its repeal in favor of market-based reforms like health savings accounts and interstate insurance competition. Regarding immigration, Cruz emphasizes strict border security, including the construction of a wall, and opposes paths to citizenship or legal status for undocumented immigrants. In the area of environmental policy, he supports the expansion of domestic energy production, including hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas, and has criticized international climate agreements like the Paris Accord. His foreign policy is characterized by a strong alliance with Israel, a hawkish stance toward Iran and China, and an emphasis on U.S. sovereignty over international cooperation.