The Story:
Senator Ted Cruz (R – Tx) may well run for President in 2024, especially if former President Trump declines to seek a return to the White House in that cycle. If Trump does stay out, there will likely be a crowded field contending for the Republican Party’s nomination, but Cruz will be a formidable entrant in that field.
Background:
Within the history of the two major political parties in the United States, it has often been the case that the runner-up of one contested nomination is the winner of a subsequent contest for the same prize. After all, his name is by then very familiar to party activists, he has a ‘rolodex’ of people capable of doing the various jobs that have to be done within a national campaign organization, etc.
Ronald Reagan, for example, ran unsuccessfully to unseat President Gerald Ford as the Republican nominee in 1976, but he won the nomination of the same party, and the Presidency, four years later. In 2000, Sen. John McCain was the runner-up to George W. Bush for the Republican nomination. Bush won that campaign and the Presidency, but McCain had laid the groundwork for a later campaign. In 2008, McCain did win the nomination (though not the general election).
The Thing to Know:
Likewise, Ted Cruz’ 2016 campaign may have set him up for a run in 2024 that will get him further. Brilyn Hollyhand, the proprietor of a conservative news service called The Truth Gazette, recently asked Cruz whether he would consider running for President again. Cruz’ answer was direct: “Absolutely. In a heartbeat.”
