Texas Senator Ted Cruz, right, with wife Heidi and daughters Catherine, left, and Caroline, greets supporters in Lynchburg, Va., Monday.Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press
Canadian-born Senator Ted Cruz has become the first major politician to officially announce his candidacy for the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
"I believe in you, I believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America," Mr. Cruz said in a speech at Liberty University, a private Christian college in Lynchburg, Va. "And that is why today I am announcing that I am running for president of the United States."
Mr. Cruz's declaration kicks off what will likely be a frenzied, fractured field of candidates vying for the Republican nomination.
Late last year, former Florida governor Jeb Bush announced he was actively exploring the possibility of running. In a move seen by many as a pre-emptive show of transparency before the heightened scrutiny of a presidential campaign begins, Mr. Bush released thousands of e-mails he claimed were indicative of his governorship (although the e-mails were from a personal, not government, account).
Celebrity mogul Donald Trump has also said he is exploring a presidential run, although polls indicate his chances – among Republican and non-Republican voters – are decidedly slim. Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and current New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are also expected to run.
With the first GOP primaries eight months away and the general election not until November, 2016, Mr. Cruz and his presumptive competitors are in the early running not for popular support but for public name recognition, fundraising dollars and – perhaps most importantly – to attract the attention of the Republican Party's chief operatives and bankrollers.
By many estimates, the 2016 election is likely to be the most expensive in U.S. history, and any Republican nominee will need a deep war chest to compete. A number of big-name conservative donors have already indicated they plan to spend liberally – most significantly, the billionaire Koch brothers, who have said they plan to spend about $1-billion (U.S.) on the election.
Much of that money is likely to go toward attack ads aimed at the Democratic nominee, but whichever Republican candidate the donors ultimately favour is likely to receive a significant boost.
While Republicans appear set for a crowded, heated nomination battle, the Democratic field is so far empty, albeit for a single, very well-known name. Former senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton is widely assumed to be the front-runner for the Democratic ticket, although she has yet to formally announce her presidential intentions. Vice-President Joe Biden is also a potential contender, but he too has yet to make any official announcement.
Mr. Cruz veers hard to the right within his own party but is a Tea Party favourite. He led the congressional campaign that shut down the federal government in late 2013 in an effort to kill President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. His rivals are likely to paint him as a divisive figure ill-equipped to rally a party fractured over social issues.
There is also the technical issue of whether Mr. Cruz, who was born in Calgary, is a "natural born citizen" of the U.S., the eligibility requirement set out in the Constitution.
In his speech at Liberty University on Monday, Mr. Cruz outlined in broad strokes the policy pillars of his campaign. As president, he said, he would stand "unapologetically" with Israel, defeat radical Islamist terrorism and repeal "every word of Obamacare." Mr. Cruz also promised to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and impose a flat tax.
He also referenced the Biblical image of a shining city on a hill, the term made popular among Republicans as a descriptor of the United States following its use by former president Ronald Reagan. Indeed, Mr. Cruz's first speech as candidate relied heavily on evangelical themes.
"From the dawn of this country, at every stage America has enjoyed God's providential blessing," he told the audience. "Over and over again, when we face impossible odds, the American people rose to the challenge.
"You know, compared to that, repealing Obamacare and abolishing the IRS ain't all that tough."