Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced his interest in a 2024 presidential campaign during an interview on The Truth Gazette Wednesday.
During the interview released on Friday, Sen. Cruz was asked if he would ever consider running again for president. Cruz responded, saying, “Absolutely, in a heartbeat.”
Speaking about his presidential campaign in 2016, Cruz said, “I ran in 2016. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.” He added, “We had a very crowded field. We had 17 candidates in the race, very strong field.” The Texas senator also reminded viewers of his success in the 2016 Republican primaries, saying, “I ended up placing second.”
Sen. Ted Cruz ran a very successful presidential primary campaign in 2016. He continued, “In 2016, we raised over 92 million dollars. That was the most money any Republican’s ever raised in the history of presidential primaries.” Cruz’s fundraising efforts enabled him to compete in a very challenging field of candidates, falling second only to President Trump.
Cruz won the first Republican Caucuses in Iowa. He focused his campaign on conservative values and did not make the mistake of running as part of the GOP establishment, helping him outlast many high-profile Republicans in the crowded primary.
However, the majority of the Republican Party chose to support Donald Trump, who promised to “Make America Great Again.” After a highly contested primary with sharp disagreement between the two candidates, Cruz ultimately became a supporter of President Trump and a key ally in the Senate throughout the Trump administration.
Cruz has not announced his decision regarding a presidential run in 2024, however he told The Truth Gazette, “There’s a reason historically that the runner up is almost always the next nominee.” Cruz added, “That has played out repeatedly.”
While Republicans are waiting to announce their decisions regarding 2024 until after the 2022 midterms, this news comes as a surprise considering Trump’s latest hints at running again in 2024. Nevertheless, Cruz said that as the runner-up, “You come in with just an enormous base of support.” If Trump chooses not to run again in 2024, Ted Cruz could have a strong chance in the Republican primary.
