Cruz Tweets: “I’m Running for President”
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(VIRGINIA) — Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz has announced he’s running for president in 2016. Cruz announced his decision in a tweet, writing, “I’m running for president and I hope to earn your support.” Sen. Cruz will formally announce his presidential bid Monday at Liberty University in Virginia, aides to the senator confirmed to ABC News.
However, shortly after midnight, Cruz tweeted his announcement, along with a 30-second video. At around the same time, Cruz also released his new presidential campaign website, TedCruz.org. This declaration is the first made among any of the major potential 2016 presidential candidates from either party.
It has long been rumored that Cruz, who has only been in the Senate for just over two years, has had his eye on the White House.
Liberty University is a private, non-profit Christian university founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.Generally, presidential hopefuls form an exploratory committee before arriving at a decision to run. However, Cruz appears poised to begin a campaign, which might compel other potential candidate to make their intentions known sooner than they planned.
A staunch conservative and Tea Party favorite, Cruz is perhaps best known for triggering a partial government shutdown in October 2013 that angered many within his own party — yet boosted his standing among potential voters looking for a conservative candidate for the White House in 2016.
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