Cruz Gets Expected Senate Win
Tea Party favorite Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz with daughter Caroline announcing his victory at a watch party in Houston, Tuesday Nov. 6, 2012. Photo by Michael Stravato/Texas TribuneAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Political newcomer and Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz wrapped up his run to the U.S. Senate with a win over Democrat Paul Sadler last night.
It wasn’t really much of a race. Ted Cruz raised millions more than Paul Sadler. That gave the Democrat another mountain to climb in the predominantly red state. And while Sadler often complained about the lack of support he got from Democrats inside and out of Texas he ended his campaign as losing candidates traditionally do, by calling for unity behind Cruz.
“But now our response as Texans, as Americans, we stand up and say to the world – this is the vote,” Sadler said to supporters in Austin, “we link arms together and go forward as a state, forward as a nation because that’s who we are.”
The real race for U.S. Senate was in the Republican primary last Spring, where Ted Cruz and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst spent millions of dollars trying to convince GOP voters each was the more conservative candidate.
Cruz built his campaign by attacking President Obama early and often…and on his victory night that trend continued.
“If President Obama means what he says on the campaign trail, if he is interested in working to bring people together to reduce the deficit and get people working, then I will work with him,”Cruz told a jeering audience in Houston, “but, if he is reelected and intends to continue down this same path, then I will spend every waking moment to lead the fight to stop it.”
Cruz will be heading to a Senate still controlled by Democrats. But if he can make his mark as a conservative bulldog, fighting against President Obama, rumors are already spreading that Cruz could be a Presidential candidate in 2016.
A meteoric rise that would mirror President Obama’s own quick jump from Senate to the Presidential race.
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