Ted Cruz becomes first to enter presidential race

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz became the first to officially enter what is expected to be a crowded Iowa field of 2016 Republican presidential candidates, getting off the mark Monday with a speech extolling conservative ideals at a Christian college in Virginia.

A Texan who is in his first term in the U.S. Senate, he trails the leaders in Iowa, according to early polls. But activists say he is a strong presence who is angling for a slice of the GOP electorate that's energized and looking for big change.

'He's got some strong following here among the tea party people,” said Sam Clovis, a former Republican Senate candidate from western Iowa.

Cruz's speech at Liberty University had the feel of a sermon at a megachurch, with the candidate wearing a wireless microphone and walking around a stage.

He discussed the humble background of his parents, how his wife is the daughter of missionaries and how he took out $100,000 in student loans that he paid off only a few years ago. He talked about the power of the American dream and harnessing the grassroots to propel his campaign forward.

'It is the time for truth. It is the time for liberty. It is the time to reclaim the Constitution of the United States,” he said.

The speech embraced the goals of Christian social conservatives, military hawks and small-government tea partiers and illustrated the broad Republican coalition he is hoping to assemble.

Cruz already has spent a good bit of time in Iowa. According to the Iowa Republican website, only Rick Santorum and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry have spent more time here since 2013.

Cruz attended the agriculture summit organized earlier this month by GOP donor and businessman Bruce Rastetter, and he also took part in the event for potential presidential candidates that U.S. Rep. Steve King organized in late January in Des Moines.

Cruz also is hiring here. Earlier this month, his operation hired Bryan English, a former public relations director for the Iowa Family Policy Center who also worked for King.

Cruz has won attention for his strident opposition to the Affordable Care Act, which led to a government shutdown in 2013. He emphasizes his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Cruz also opposes the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, which is popular among Iowa political figures and in rural parts of the state.

At the same time, the policy that guarantees renewables a part of the nation's fuel market also rubs some conservatives the wrong way.

At the agriculture summit two weeks ago, Cruz cast his opposition to the standard as a principled stand. He said it 'would be the easy thing to do” to back the standard.

But, he said, a major reason for problems in Washington is 'there have been career politicians in both parties that aren't listening to the American people and that aren't doing what they said they'd do.”

Doug Gross, a Des Moines lawyer who has been influential in GOP politics for years, said Monday he doesn't think opposition to the fuel standard will hurt Cruz among the Iowans he's seeking to court.

Still, he said Republicans want to nominate somebody who can win in the fall.

'It's really doubtful he could be a credible candidate in the fall,” he said.

Clovis added he thinks many Republicans are leaning toward a candidate with executive experience, calling that 'the biggest thing” Cruz must overcome.

Activists in the state say the potential Iowa field is fluid but likely to be a big one.

So far, polls say Cruz is behind. A Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll in late January said Cruz had the support of 6 percent of likely Republican caucusgoers, behind Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and physician Ben Carson.

A Quinnipiac Poll last month had him in sixth place at 5 percent.

The Washington Post contributed to this report.