In this session of the Conservatism101® series, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) considers the prospects for the conservative movement in the US. What does the horizon hold for conservatism? What must conservatives do if they intend on being a force in setting America’s future course toward a renewal of liberty and opportunity? Have modern conservatives learned the tried and true principles necessary to steer us toward a direction of “ordered liberty”?
In contemplating the future of the conservative movement, Cruz argues that it is principles and leadership that take center stage. He helps tie together the Conservatism101 course series by articulating a path forward for the conservative movement that empowers and is empowered by the rising generation.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)
The Presenter
In 2012, Ted Cruz was elected as the 34th U.S. Senator from Texas. A passionate fighter for limited government, economic growth, and the Constitution, Mr. Cruz won a decisive victory in both the Republican primary and the general election, despite having never before been elected to office. Propelled by tens of thousands of grassroots activists across Texas, his election has been described by The Washington Post as “the biggest upset of 2012 . . . a true grassroots victory against very long odds.”
Senator Cruz’s calling to public service is inspired largely by his first-hand observation of the pursuit of freedom and opportunity in America. His mother was born in Delaware to an Irish and Italian working-class family. His father was born in Cuba, fought in the revolution, and was imprisoned and tortured. He fled to Texas in 1957, penniless and not speaking a word of English. He washed dishes for 50 cents an hour, paid his way through the University of Texas, and started a small business in the oil and gas industry. Today, Senator Cruz’s father is a pastor in Dallas.
Before being elected, Cruz received national acclaim as the Solicitor General of Texas, the State’s chief lawyer before the U.S. Supreme Court. Serving under Attorney General Greg Abbott, he was the nation’s youngest Solicitor General, the longest serving Solicitor General in Texas, and the first Hispanic Solicitor General of Texas. In private practice in Houston, he spent five years as a partner at one of the nation’s largest law firms, where he led the firm’s U.S. Supreme Court and national Appellate Litigation practice. He has authored more than 80 U.S. Supreme Court briefs and argued 43 oral arguments, including nine before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Senator and his wife Heidi live in his hometown of Houston, Texas, with their two young daughters Caroline and Catherine.
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