Ted Cruz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ted Cruz
Official portrait, 2019
Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Maria Cantwell
Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee
In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Roger Wicker
Succeeded by	Maria Cantwell
United States Senator from Texas
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2013 Serving with John Cornyn
Preceded by	Kay Bailey Hutchison
3rd Solicitor General of Texas
In office January 9, 2003 – May 12, 2008
Appointed by	Greg Abbott
Preceded by	Julie Parsley
Succeeded by	James C. Ho
Personal details
Born	Rafael Edward Cruz (1970-12-22) December 22, 1970 (age 54) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Citizenship	United States Canada (1970–2014)
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Heidi Nelson ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	2
Relatives	Rafael Cruz (father)
Education	Princeton University (BA) Harvard University (JD)
Signature

Rafael Edward Cruz (born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and lawyer. He has been a U.S. Senator for Texas since 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party. Before becoming a senator, Cruz was the Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008.

After studying at Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Cruz worked as a policy advisor for President George W. Bush. In 2003, he became the Solicitor General of Texas. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012. He was the first Hispanic American to serve as a U.S. senator from Texas. In the Senate, he often takes conservative stances on money and social issues. He was reelected in 2018 and again in 2024. In 2016, Cruz ran for the Republican presidential nomination.

Early Life and Family Background

Rafael Edward Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on December 22, 1970. His mother, Eleanor Elizabeth, was born in Wilmington, Delaware. She studied mathematics at Rice University.

Cruz's father, Rafael, was born in Cuba. As a teenager in the 1950s, he was involved in protests against the government. He left Cuba in 1957 to study in the United States. He became a Canadian citizen in 1973 and a U.S. citizen in 2005.

When Ted Cruz was born, his parents lived in Calgary. They worked in the oil business. In 1974, his family moved to Houston, Texas. His parents later divorced in 1997. Ted Cruz started using the name "Ted" when he was 13 years old.

How Ted Cruz Studied and Learned

For junior high, Cruz went to Awty International School in Houston. He then attended two private high schools, graduating as valedictorian from Second Baptist School in 1988. In high school, he learned about economics from a group called the Free Market Education Foundation.

After high school, Cruz studied public policy at Princeton University. He was a top debater there, winning awards in national championships. His senior paper at Princeton was about the separation of powers in government. He graduated from Princeton in 1992.

Cruz then went to Harvard Law School. He was an editor for important law journals there. He graduated from Harvard Law in 1995. One of his professors, Alan Dershowitz, called him "off-the-charts brilliant."

Ted Cruz's Legal Career

Working for Judges

After law school, Cruz worked as a law clerk for two important judges. First, he worked for Judge J. Michael Luttig from 1995 to 1996. Then, he worked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist at the U.S. Supreme Court from 1996 to 1997.

Working as a Private Lawyer

After his time with the Supreme Court, Cruz worked at a law firm called Cooper, Carvin & Rosenthal. He helped with cases for the National Rifle Association. He also helped prepare for the impeachment process against President Bill Clinton.

Working for the Bush Administration

In 1999, Cruz joined George W. Bush's presidential campaign. He advised Bush on many legal and policy issues. During the 2000 Florida presidential vote recount, he helped the Bush legal team.

After Bush became president, Cruz worked in the United States Department of Justice. He also worked at the Federal Trade Commission.

Serving as Texas Solicitor General

In 2003, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott chose Cruz to be the Solicitor General of Texas. This job involves handling appeals for the state government. Cruz argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court nine times, winning five of them. He wrote many legal papers for the Supreme Court.

One important case was District of Columbia v. Heller. Cruz helped argue that a handgun ban in Washington, D.C., was against the Second Amendment right to bear arms. He also successfully defended a Ten Commandments monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds.

In another case, Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, Cruz argued about the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. He helped win a case that allowed the Pledge to continue as it was. He also successfully defended Texas's congressional district map.

In Medellín v. Texas, Cruz defended Texas against attempts to reopen cases of Mexican citizens on death row. Texas won this case, showing that international court decisions are not always binding in U.S. law.

Cruz was recognized as one of the best young lawyers in America.

Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate

Senate Elections

2012 Election for Senator

Final results by county in 2012:

In 2012, Cruz ran for the U.S. Senate as a Tea Party candidate. He won the Republican primary against David Dewhurst. Many people saw his victory as a big surprise.

In the general election, Cruz ran against Democratic candidate Paul Sadler. Cruz won with 56.4% of the votes. He became the new U.S. Senator for Texas.

Cruz in 2012 with his predecessor-to-be (Sen. Hutchison at right) and his future fellow senator from Texas (Sen. Cornyn at left)

2018 Election for Senator

Final results by county in 2018:

Cruz ran for reelection in 2018. He easily won the Republican nomination. He faced Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke in the general election. This race was very close and got a lot of attention. Cruz won by a small amount, 50.9% to 48.3%.

2024 Election for Senator

Cruz ran for a third term in 2024. He won against Democratic candidate Colin Allred with 53.1% of the vote.

Laws and Bills Ted Cruz Has Supported

Cruz presents a U.S. flag to World War II veteran Richard Arvin Overton during opening ceremony for outpatient clinic in Austin on August 22, 2013.

Ted Cruz has supported many bills in the Senate. Some of these include:

• A bill to cancel the Affordable Care Act.
• A bill to stop the use of drones to harm U.S. citizens within the country.
• Bills to investigate and stop criminals from illegally buying guns.
• A bill to let states ask for proof of citizenship when people register to vote in federal elections.
• A bill to increase exports of coal, natural gas, and oil. This bill also aimed to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline and expand oil drilling.

The 2013 Government Shutdown

Cruz played a big part in the 2013 United States federal government shutdown. He gave a 21-hour speech in the Senate. He wanted to stop a federal budget bill to prevent funding for the Affordable Care Act. During his long speech, he even read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

His supporters saw this as a strong stand against government spending. Critics, including some other Republicans, thought it was not helpful. Cruz has said he was not responsible for the shutdown, even though he voted to keep it going.

S. 2195 Bill

On April 1, 2014, Cruz introduced a bill called S. 2195. This bill would allow the president of the United States to deny visas to United Nations ambassadors who have been involved in espionage or terrorist activities against the U.S. or its allies. This bill was created because Iran chose an ambassador who was involved in the Iran hostage crisis. President Barack Obama signed this bill into law, and Cruz thanked him for it.

What Committees Does Ted Cruz Serve On?

Cruz with Venezuelan Chargé d'Affaires Carlos Vecchio

Ted Cruz serves on several important Senate committees:

• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Committee on Foreign Relations
• Committee on Rules and Administration
• Committee on the Judiciary
• Joint Economic Committee

He has also served on the Committee on Armed Services and the Special Committee on Aging.

Ted Cruz's Views on President Obama

Cruz often criticized President Obama. In 2014, he said Obama wanted to "destroy the Constitution." He also said that Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran would make the U.S. the "leading financier of radical Islamic terrorism." President Obama and other politicians criticized these comments.

After Justice Antonin Scalia died, Cruz said the next president, not Obama, should choose a new Supreme Court Justice. He also blamed the Obama administration for not tracking a shooter properly after the Orlando nightclub shooting.

Ted Cruz's Relationship with Donald Trump

Cruz and then-President Donald Trump in 2019

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Cruz and Donald Trump often argued. Cruz called Trump a "Twitterer in chief." However, after Trump won the nomination, Cruz became a strong supporter.

In 2017, Cruz praised Trump's choice for the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch. He also called Trump's speech to Congress "positive" and "unifying." In 2018, Cruz wrote an article for Time magazine about Trump, saying he was "doing what he was elected to do: disrupt the status quo." Cruz endorsed Trump for the 2024 presidential election.

Ted Cruz's Relationships with Other Republicans

Cruz has sometimes had disagreements with other Republican politicians. He has called some Republicans a "surrender caucus" for not resisting Obama's ideas enough. His role in the 2013 government shutdown also caused tension.

For example, Senator John McCain criticized Cruz's comments. In 2015, Cruz accused Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of lying about a vote. This caused a lot of debate in the Senate. Cruz has said he is proud of fighting against the "Washington cartel."

The 2020 Presidential Election and Capitol Events

Cruz supported efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 United States presidential election. He agreed to argue a lawsuit that tried to overturn election results in some states. He also supported a plan to delay the counting of electoral votes on January 6, 2021.

On January 6, 2021, a group of people stormed the U.S. Capitol. After this event, Cruz voted to object to electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania. Many people criticized Cruz for his actions, saying he helped cause the events at the Capitol. Some newspapers called for him to resign or be removed from the Senate.

In May 2021, Cruz voted against creating a special commission to investigate the Capitol events. Later, he called the attack a "violent terrorist attack," which led to criticism from some pro-Trump Republicans. He later apologized for this comment, calling it "dumb" and "sloppy."

Ted Cruz's 2016 Presidential Campaign

Cruz speaking at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland

Many people expected Cruz to run for president in 2016. He gave speeches in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire. He often talked about his belief in originalism, which means interpreting the Constitution based on its original meaning.

On March 23, 2015, Cruz officially started his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. He was the first major Republican to announce his candidacy. His main support came from social conservatives.

Ted Cruz in Nashua, New Hampshire, on April 17, 2015

Winning Primary Elections

In the 2016 Republican primaries, Cruz received over 7.8 million votes. He won 12 states and earned 559 delegates. He raised almost $92 million for his campaign.

On February 1, 2016, Cruz won the Iowa caucuses. This made him the first Hispanic person to win a presidential primary or caucus. He also won in Alaska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Maine, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Wisconsin.

After losing to Donald Trump in the Indiana primary on May 3, Cruz stopped his campaign.

Ted Cruz's Citizenship

Cruz was born in Canada. His mother was a U.S. citizen at the time. In 2013, it was pointed out that he had dual Canadian-American citizenship. He then formally gave up his Canadian citizenship in 2014.

Some people questioned if he could be president because he was born in Canada. However, courts and election boards ruled that he was eligible because his mother was a U.S. citizen.

After the Campaign

Cruz at the 2016 Republican National Convention, July 20, 2016

After his campaign ended, Cruz did not immediately endorse Donald Trump. He said he would not support someone who attacked his wife and father. However, on September 23, 2016, he publicly endorsed Trump for president. He later met with President-elect Trump.

Ted Cruz's Political Views

Cruz is known for his very conservative political views. He is often described as a "radical right" and "anti-establishment" politician.

Views on Communism

Cruz is critical of the U.S. improving relations with Cuba. He believes it was a mistake. In 2018, he spoke at a rally for religious freedom in Asia. He said that people should stand together against communism. He mentioned that his own family had experienced communism firsthand.

Ted Cruz's Podcast

Cruz and Michael J. Knowles started a podcast called Verdict with Ted Cruz in January 2020. The first episodes were about Donald Trump's impeachment hearings. Later, the podcast covered other topics and included interviews with politicians and actors. In 2022, the podcast partnered with iHeartRadio and expanded to three episodes a week.

Ted Cruz's Personal Life

Cruz with his wife, Heidi, at a rally in Houston, March 2015

Ted Cruz married Heidi Nelson on May 27, 2001. They met while working on George W. Bush's presidential campaign. Heidi worked at Goldman Sachs and previously in the White House. Cruz lives with his wife and their two children in Houston, Texas.

Cruz has joked about his background, saying, "I'm Cuban, Irish, and Italian, and yet somehow I ended up Southern Baptist." He enjoys wearing cowboy boots. In 2020, Cruz self-isolated after being near someone with COVID-19.

Electoral History

See Also

In Spanish: Ted Cruz para niños

• List of foreign-born United States politicians
• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
• List of United States senators born outside the United States