With the 2016 presidential primary elections just over nine months away, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz became the first public figure to officially announce his candidacy. Cruz leaked the news via Twitter last week, stating that “I am running for president and I hope to earn your support!”
As a junior senator, with only two years of political experience in Congress, Cruz is not exactly considered a political juggernaut, especially within the ranks of the GOP, but Eric Mozwecz, president of the College Republicans, has not been so ready to disqualify Cruz.
“It’s a good thing to get in the game as soon as possible…I think he’s a legitimate contender but he’s going to have a lot of competition,” said Mozwecz.
Cruz’s official announcement was delivered at Liberty University, the largest Christian university in the world, where he spoke with emotion to an excitable crowd of students.
While Cruz received vehement support from the crowd at Liberty, there have been a whirlwind of both serious and politically manufactured doubts regarding the legitimacy of his campaign, and few have taken the probability of a Cruz presidency serious.
Over a dozen republican candidates have expressed some interest or intent to pursue the presidency in 2016.
Vanessa Reyes, vice president of the College Democrats, sees Cruz’s campaign, underpinned by Tea Party ideals, as a challenge to the Republican Party’s views.
“There isn’t a clear frontrunner and they’re kind of at a crossroads…I don’t think Cruz should be underestimated; he represents a challenge to the Republican Party and what direction they want to go in the future,” said Reyes.
Cruz, widely considered ultra-conservative, has been blasted by members of both Republican and Democratic Parties. Without widespread party support Cruz may have a rough time during his campaign. As uncertainty runs rampant in the republican caucus, democrats have all but shown their cards when it comes to their candidate.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, former secretary of state, has begun quietly beefing up the staff in her communications department, including adding Robby Mook, who was on her team during her presidential campaign in 2008.
Senior Adam Kramer, a political science major, said he believes that the silence of the democrats is indicative of their support for Clinton.
“Democrats show more solidarity…they seem more unified behind Hillary,” said Kramer.
However, Reyes is apprehensive of a Democratic plan that is headed by Clinton.
“The Democratic Party has seemingly put all their eggs in the Hillary Clinton basket, and I don’t know if that’s the greatest idea but it seems like others are hesitant to challenge her,” said Reyes.