Sen. Ted Cruz will announce Monday that he’s running for president, aides to the Texas Republican said.
Mr. Cruz, 44, will become the first Republican to formally mount a White House bid, and many others in the GOP — such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, among others — are expected to join him.
Mr. Cruz’s plans were first reported by the Houston Chronicle and confirmed by The Associated Press, citing strategists for the senator.
A favorite among conservatives, Mr. Cruz already has made his first trip to the key state of New Hampshire, home to the nation’s first primary election, and has given other strong indications he’s eyeing the presidency.
He was elected to the Senate in November 2012 after serving as Texas solicitor general.
In just a little over two years in the Senate, Mr. Cruz has emerged as one of President Obama’s top critics on a variety of fronts, including foreign policy.
Last week, he bashed the administration’s efforts to strike a nuclear with Iran, saying Republicans were right to send a letter to Iranian officials warning them that any deal reached with Mr. Obama might not last into the next administration.
“If we actually had negotiators that were trying to defend our national security, if anything the letter would help them because what the letter makes clear is for any deal to be binding, it has to go through Congress,” Mr. Cruz said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program. “If we didn’t have a president like Barack Obama who routinely tries to circumvent Congress and the Senate when it comes to treaties, there wouldn’t be a need for a letter making clear that our Constitution gives Congress a vital role” in lawmaking.
Despite his growing profile in the Republican party and on the national stage, Mr. Cruz faces an uphill battle to capture the GOP nomination, polls show.
A CNN/ORC International poll released last week showed Mr. Cruz is far behind Mr. Bush, Mr. Walker and others. Just 4 percent of Republican voters said Mr. Cruz would be their first choice for president.
Seven other Republicans finished ahead of Mr. Cruz, including Mr. Bush, with 16 percent; Mr. Walker, with 13 percent; and Mr. Paul, with 12 percent.
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio also finished ahead of Mr. Cruz.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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