Cruz Defeats Dewhurst In Texas Runoff

Liberty will be on the Lone Star ballot in November. This is thanks to a huge victory in the Texas Senate run-off election by Tea Party-backed Ted Cruz. Cruz is a Cuban-American and is originally from Canada, but he is as American as they come. He was backed by members from all coroners of the Republican Party, including our very own Ron Paul, as well as Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum, Sean Hannity, and even anti-Paul leader of Red State, Eric Erickson. But do not worry. Cruz's beliefs align more with Doctor Paul's than any of the other endorsements that he received. Cruz is pro-free markets, pro-Audit the Fed, anti-NDAA, and has called for an exit strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cruz took down his Republican opponent David Dewhurst, Texas' Lt. Governor backed by the big government Texas Republican establishment, including Rick Perry. Cruz's campaign came mostly from the grassroots, while Dewhurst spent millions of his own money and outspent Cruz 3:1.

There is some concern over Cruz within the Ron Paul and liberty movement. This concern stems from Cruz's refusal to endorse Ron Paul despite many of their similar beliefs. This could mean that Cruz may pander to the establishment for political gain despite his principals opposing them. Or, it could simply mean that he was in the midst of election season and wanted to focus on his own election instead of doing anything to isolate any of his supporters. His non-endorsement did not concern me, but I do have some concerns going forward. My main concern moving forward is the pressure he will be under. The Republican establishment in Texas is large and influential, and he will be under pressure to vote their way even if he doesn't want to.

Nonetheless, I am optimistic about Cruz. If elected to the Senate, which he most likely will be, he would be a close ally of Senator Rand Paul in fighting things like NDAA and the Patriot Act, issues which members of both sides have isolated Rand on. He will lead the charge for fiscal responsibility and an auditing of the Federal Reserve, issues Dewhurst would have rolled over on. This article is not a Cruz endorsement, but as we move forward and I start endorsing the many liberty candidates we have this year, I plan on including Cruz on my list.