Cruz may still have eye on a presidential bid

DALLAS — Ted Cruz has seemingly taken himself out of the 2024 presidential sweepstakes, saying last week that he’s focused on being reelected to a third term in the Senate.

While it’s clear that Cruz will run in earnest for reelection, don’t believe that he doesn’t have an eye toward the 2024 presidential race or the fallout from what could be a fascinating GOP presidential primary.

On Sunday’s edition of Lone Star Politics, a political show produced by KXAS-TV (NBC5) and The Dallas Morning News, I asked Cruz if he had ruled out a run for president.

“I am running for reelection for Senate in 2024,” he said. “It is the honor of my life to represent 30 million Texans, and what I’m doing each and every day is going to Washington and fighting for 30 million Texans.”

He didn’t rule it out. But now most analysts don’t think he’ll take advantage of a Texas law that would allow him to simultaneously run for reelection and president.

But that doesn’t mean he’s not biding his time.

“Ted Cruz was born to run for president. It’s just part of his political DNA,” said University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus. “A lot of candidates, once they get a sniff of that first campaign for president, it stays with them.”

Cruz is already touting Texas as a model for the nation. Here’s part of what he said when I asked him about 2024: “Voters want to change the path we’re on. You look at the state of Texas. Texas is booming, because we understand low taxes, low regulations, let small businesses grow. It’s why people from all over the country moved to Texas, and I think we need to move the rest of the country in the direction of the policies that work here in Texas.”