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Ted CruzREPRepublican United States Senator
53
Years of Age
11
Years of Experience
TXResidence (state)

Rafael Edward Cruz (born December 22, 1970) is an American politician, attorney, and political commentator serving as the junior United States senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 to 2008. After graduating from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Cruz pursued a career in politics, later working as a policy advisor in the George W. Bush administration. In 2003, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott appointed Cruz to serve as Solicitor General, a position he held through 2008. In 2012, Cruz was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first Hispanic-American to serve as a U.S. senator from Texas. In the Senate, he has taken consistently conservative positions on economic and social policy; he played a leading role in the 2013 United States federal government shutdown, seeking to force Congress and President Barack Obama to defund the Affordable Care Act. He was reelected in a close Senate race in 2018 against Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke. On March 23, 2015, Cruz announced he was running for president. Despite having only been a senator for two years, he emerged as a serious contender in the Republican primaries. The competition for the Republican presidential nomination between Cruz and front-runner Donald Trump was heated and characterized by a series of public personal attacks.

Voterly's Issue Scores  (1 - 30 of 30)

Below lists the position this politician has taken on a political issue. The star rating represents the politician's prioritization and action on the issue based on data collected by relevant interest groups. Select an issue to view a more in-depth explanation of each rating.

Special Interest Group Ratings

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Rating
Interest Groups That OPPOSE
Rating
Average Score

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0 / 30

Campaign Funding

20
18
$45,260,806
Total Raised
$45,582,260
Total Spent
$157,959
Cash on Hand
Top Industries  (1 - 4 of 10) View All Industries
99%
Retired$7,152,661
46%
Republican/Conservative$3,345,173
22%
Real Estate$1,563,531
19%
Oil & Gas$1,357,317
16%
Lawyers/Law Firms$1,191,407
16%
Securities & Investment$1,154,712
13%
Health Professionals$927,756
11%
Misc Finance$781,687
9%
Misc Business$639,588
7%
Business Services$506,408
Direct campaign contributions grouped by the industry industry of each donor/PAC.

Largest Contributors

Funding generally from an organization's PAC or its members/employees. Organizations did not donate directly.
Financial Data Source: Center for Responsive Politics
Education7 - 7 of 5
Princeton University
Bachelor of Arts
1992
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
Awty International School
Harvard Law School
Juris Doctor
1995
Second Baptist School
Past Positions1 - 12 of 12
Senator
United States Senate, Texas
2013 - Current
Partner
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Limited Liability Partnership
2008 - 2013
Adjunct Professor of Law
United States Court Litigation, University of Texas School of Law
2004 - 2009
Solicitor General of Texas
Office of the Attorney General
2003 - 2008
Director
Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission
2001 - 2003
Associate Deputy Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
2001
Coordinator
Department of Justice, Bush-Cheney Transition Team
2000 - 2001
Domestic Policy Advisor
Bush Presidential Campaign
1999 - 2000
Florida Recount Team
Bush-Cheney Presidential Campaign
2000
Associate
Cooper/Carvin & Rosenthal
1997 - 1999
Law Clerk
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Supreme Court of the United States
1996 - 1997
Law Clerk
Judge J. Michael Luttig, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
1995 - 1996
Other Experience1 - 26 of 26
Board Member
Hispanic Alliance for Progress
Board Member
Texas Review of Law & Politics
Director
Texas Lyceum
Executive Editor
Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy
Founding Editor
Harvard Latino Law Review
Member
American Law Institute
Member
Texas Philosophical Society
Primary Editor
Harvard Law Review
Former Chair
Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights, and Federal Courts, United States Senate
Former Chair
Space, Science, and Competitiveness Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Chair
Subcommittee on The Constitution, United States Senate
Former Chair
Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, United States Senate
Former Member
Airland Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Strategic Forces Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on East Asia, The Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy
Former Member
Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights
Former Member
Armed Services Committee, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Security, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Seapower, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, United States Senate
Ranking Member
Commerce Committee