March 23, 2015

Ted Cruz Is Running for President. Here’s What You Need to Know About Him.

His flip-flops, his formative years, and his firebrand father.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) running for office in 2012. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/7004276898/in/photolist-bEWKuN-bEWGgy-fmjJnc-ryoZz5-av6uvr-e4m9QZ-qBswDA-qJCWSH-fmjVmR-e4rMFU-e4m9nD-e4rNaC-e4mbDK-9DR8Et-e4rKnC-e4m8Zg-e4mcJV-fmzxcC-e4mbHt-fmze2A-fmjY2K-pSnsXt-fmkDGX-bEWMQo-fmz2Wy-rKnwoR-qBFXhM-e4mb9R-gb3cqB-qwjNHq-e4maS2-fmzhoo-pSBdg6-dRij4c-dcmQno-e4jouk-e4jooc-e4mby4-e4rNz7-av6uhT-av9b59-av9aPL-av9b1u-e4joaP-e4joh2-e4pZM5-e4pZES-e4pZcy-e4rKYd-e4maox">Gage Skidmore</a>/Flickr

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) officially launched his presidential campaign today, making him the first contender in either party to officially enter the race. At midnight Monday morning, Cruz tweeted, “I’m running for President and I hope to earn your support!” He made a more formal announcement later in the morning at Liberty University in Virginia, the Christian university founded by Jerry Falwell—where he drew loud applause when he told the crowd about his father finding Jesus Christ. His speech was, not surprisingly, designed for social conservatives: He blasted gay marriage, gun safety laws, and Common Core education standards. And he bemoaned the fact that half of born-again Christians do not vote. “Imagine millions of people of faith coming out to the polls and voting our values,” he declared.

So far, the young 2016 GOP contest has been dominated by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Thanks to his early announcement, the spotlight will be on Cruz. Here’s the best of Mother Jones‘ coverage on the combative Texas senator:

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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