Ted Cruz
Encyclopedia
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (born December 22, 1970) is the former Solicitor General of Texas
, a position he held from 2003 to May 2008. Cruz was appointed by Texas Attorney General
Greg Abbott
. He was the first Hispanic Solicitor General in Texas, the youngest Solicitor General in America and the longest to hold the position in Texas. He is currently a partner at the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, where he leads the firm’s U.S. Supreme Court and national Appellate Litigation practice. He is also a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for the United States Senate
.
In January 2009, Cruz announced that he was running for Attorney General of Texas. He later withdrew when incumbent Greg Abbott decided to seek re-election.
Cruz previously served as the Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission
, an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice
, and as Domestic Policy Advisor to President George W. Bush
on the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. In addition, since 2004 Cruz has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Texas School of Law
, where he teaches U.S. Supreme Court Litigation.
, Alberta, where his parents were working in the oil business.
Cruz attended high school at Faith West Academy
in Katy, Texas
, and then graduated from Second Baptist High School in Houston, Texas
.
Cruz earned his A.B.
from Princeton University
and his J.D.
, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School
. While at Princeton, he was one of North America's top-ranked parliamentary debaters, winning the top speaker award at both the 1992 U.S. National Debating Championship and the 1992 North American Debating Championship
. In 1992, he was named Speaker of the Year and Team of the Year (with his debate partner, David Panton) by the American Parliamentary Debate Association. Cruz was also a semi-finalist at the 1995 World Universities Debating Championship
.
Cruz graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. He was a Primary Editor of the Harvard Law Review
, an Executive Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, and a Founding Editor of the Harvard Latino Law Review.
to William Rehnquist
, then-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and J. Michael Luttig
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
. Cruz was the first Hispanic ever to clerk for a Chief Justice of the United States.
Cruz has authored more than 80 briefs before the United States Supreme Court and presented 39 oral arguments, including 9 before the United States Supreme Court.
In the landmark case of District of Columbia v. Heller
, Cruz assembled a coalition of 31 states in defense of the principle that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. Cruz also presented oral argument for the amici states in the companion case to Heller before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
.
In addition to his victory in Heller, Cruz has successfully defended the Ten Commandments
monument on the Texas State Capitol
grounds, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance
in public schools and the 2003 Texas redistricting plan.
Cruz also successfully defended, in Medellin v. Texas
, the State of Texas against an attempt by the International Court of Justice
to re-open the criminal convictions of 51 murderers on death row throughout the United States.
would not seek reelection, Cruz announced via blogger conference call his candidacy for the United States Senate.
Cruz has received the endorsement of Senator Mike Lee of Utah, making him the first in the field of candidates to receive the endorsement of a sitting U.S. Senator. Cruz has also been endorsed by David Barton, founder and president of WallBuilders, the Club for Growth
, a conservative political action committee, Erick Erickson
, editor of prominent conservative blog RedState
, the FreedomWorks
for America super PAC, Princeton University
professor Robert P. George
, nationally syndicated radio host Mark Levin
, Former Attorney General Edwin Meese
, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
.
in the 1950s, working summers at Foley’s and Shell.
Cruz is married to Heidi Suzanne Cruz, who is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs
. They have two daughters, Caroline Camille and Catherine Christiane.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, a position he held from 2003 to May 2008. Cruz was appointed by Texas Attorney General
Texas Attorney General
The Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Texas.The department has offices at the William P. Clements State Office Building at 300 West 15th Street in Austin.-History:...
Greg Abbott
Greg Abbott
Gregory Wayne "Greg" Abbott is the Texas Attorney General, and is the second Republican since Reconstruction to serve in that role. Abbott was sworn in on December 2, 2002, following John Cornyn's election to the U.S. Senate...
. He was the first Hispanic Solicitor General in Texas, the youngest Solicitor General in America and the longest to hold the position in Texas. He is currently a partner at the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, where he leads the firm’s U.S. Supreme Court and national Appellate Litigation practice. He is also a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
In January 2009, Cruz announced that he was running for Attorney General of Texas. He later withdrew when incumbent Greg Abbott decided to seek re-election.
Cruz previously served as the Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
, an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, and as Domestic Policy Advisor to President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. In addition, since 2004 Cruz has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Texas School of Law
University of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law, also known as UT Law, is an ABA-certified American law school located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The law school has been in operation since the founding of the University in 1883. It was one of only two schools at the University when it was...
, where he teaches U.S. Supreme Court Litigation.
Early life and education
Cruz was born to Cuban-American parents in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta, where his parents were working in the oil business.
Cruz attended high school at Faith West Academy
Faith West Academy
Faith West Academy is an interdenominational, coeducational Christian private school of grades preschool-12, located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, near Katy. The school first began in 1982....
in Katy, Texas
Katy, Texas
Katy is a city located in Harris, Fort Bend and Waller Counties in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area...
, and then graduated from Second Baptist High School in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
Cruz earned his A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. While at Princeton, he was one of North America's top-ranked parliamentary debaters, winning the top speaker award at both the 1992 U.S. National Debating Championship and the 1992 North American Debating Championship
North American Debating Championship
The North American Debating Championship is the official university debating championship of North America, sanctioned by the national university debating associations in the United States and Canada, the American Parliamentary Debate Association and the Canadian University Society for...
. In 1992, he was named Speaker of the Year and Team of the Year (with his debate partner, David Panton) by the American Parliamentary Debate Association. Cruz was also a semi-finalist at the 1995 World Universities Debating Championship
World Universities Debating Championship
The World Universities Debating Championship is the world's largest debating tournament, and one of the largest annual international student events in the world. It is a parliamentary debating event, held using the British Parliamentary Debate format. Each year, the event is hosted by a university...
.
Cruz graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. He was a Primary Editor of the Harvard Law Review
Harvard Law Review
The Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
, an Executive Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, and a Founding Editor of the Harvard Latino Law Review.
Legal career
Cruz also served as a law clerkLaw clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
to William Rehnquist
William Rehnquist
William Hubbs Rehnquist was an American lawyer, jurist, and political figure who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and later as the 16th Chief Justice of the United States...
, then-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and J. Michael Luttig
J. Michael Luttig
J. Michael Luttig is an American lawyer and a former federal appellate court judge.-Education and early work:Born in Tyler, Texas, Luttig graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1976. He then attended the University of Virginia School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree in...
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
. Cruz was the first Hispanic ever to clerk for a Chief Justice of the United States.
Cruz has authored more than 80 briefs before the United States Supreme Court and presented 39 oral arguments, including 9 before the United States Supreme Court.
In the landmark case of District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes in federal enclaves, such as...
, Cruz assembled a coalition of 31 states in defense of the principle that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. Cruz also presented oral argument for the amici states in the companion case to Heller before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
.
In addition to his victory in Heller, Cruz has successfully defended the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
monument on the Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
grounds, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
in public schools and the 2003 Texas redistricting plan.
Cruz also successfully defended, in Medellin v. Texas
Medellín v. Texas
Medellín v. Texas, 552 U.S. 491 is a United States Supreme Court decision which held that while an international treaty may constitute an international commitment, it is not binding domestic law unless Congress has enacted statutes implementing it or unless the treaty itself is "self-executing";...
, the State of Texas against an attempt by the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
to re-open the criminal convictions of 51 murderers on death row throughout the United States.
2012 candidacy for U.S. Senate
On January 19, 2011, following an announcement that U.S. Senator Kay Bailey HutchisonKay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
would not seek reelection, Cruz announced via blogger conference call his candidacy for the United States Senate.
Cruz has received the endorsement of Senator Mike Lee of Utah, making him the first in the field of candidates to receive the endorsement of a sitting U.S. Senator. Cruz has also been endorsed by David Barton, founder and president of WallBuilders, the Club for Growth
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a politically conservative 527 organization active in the United States of America, with an agenda focussed on taxation and other economic issues, and with an affiliated political action committee . The Club advocates lower taxes, limited government, less government spending,...
, a conservative political action committee, Erick Erickson
Erick Erickson
Erick Erickson , also known as Erick-Woods Erickson, is a politically conservative American blogger and managing editor of the blog site RedState.com. In 2010, he became a political contributor for CNN's John King, USA...
, editor of prominent conservative blog RedState
RedState
RedState is a conservative American political weblog.The site is currently a subsidiary of Eagle Publishing, Inc., a conservative publishing house which also owns Regnery Publishing and the weekly magazine Human Events...
, the FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks is a conservative non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., United States. FreedomWorks trains volunteers, assists in campaigns, and encourages them to mobilize, interacting with both fellow citizens and their political representatives....
for America super PAC, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
professor Robert P. George
Robert P. George
Robert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, where he lectures on constitutional interpretation, civil liberties and philosophy of law. He also serves as the director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions...
, nationally syndicated radio host Mark Levin
Mark Levin
Mark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
, Former Attorney General Edwin Meese
Edwin Meese
Edwin "Ed" Meese, III is an attorney, law professor, and author who served in official capacities within the Ronald Reagan Gubernatorial Administration , the Reagan Presidential Transition Team , and the Reagan White House , eventually rising to hold the position of the 75th Attorney General of...
, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
Rand Paul
Randal Howard "Rand" Paul is the junior United States Senator for Kentucky. He is a member of the Republican Party. A member of the Tea Party movement, he describes himself as a "constitutional conservative" and a libertarian...
.
Personal life
Cruz was born and spend the first four years of his life in Calgary, Alberta, Canada before his parents relocated to Houston, Texas. His father, after fighting for Fidel Castro in the Cuban Revolution and being jailed and tortured by the Batista regime, moved to Austin in 1957 to study at the University of Texas. He spoke no English and had $100 sewn into his underwear. The elder Cruz worked his way through school as a dishwasher making 50 cents an hour. Cruz’s mother was the first person in her family ever to go to college. She earned a math degree at Rice UniversityRice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
in the 1950s, working summers at Foley’s and Shell.
Cruz is married to Heidi Suzanne Cruz, who is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
. They have two daughters, Caroline Camille and Catherine Christiane.
Honors and awards
- "America's Leading Lawyers for Business," Chambers USA (2009 & 2010)
- "50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America," National Law Journal (2008)
- "50 Best Litigators Under 45 in America," American Lawyer Magazine (2007)
- "25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter Century," Texas Lawyer (2010)
- "Impact Player of the Year for 2006," Texas Lawyer
- "100 Most Influential Hispanics in America," Hispanic Business Magazine (1999 and 2000)
- "20 Young Hispanic Americans on the Rise," Newsweek Magazine (1999)
- Award for Distinguished Service, Federal Trade CommissionFederal Trade CommissionThe Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
(2003) - Traphagen Distinguished Alumnus, Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
- Primary Editor, Harvard Law ReviewHarvard Law ReviewThe Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
- Executive Editor, Harvard Journal of Law and Public PolicyHarvard Journal of Law and Public PolicyThe Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy is a student-edited law review of conservative and libertarian legal scholarship. It was establisheded by Harvard Law School students Spencer Abraham and Stephen Eberhard in 1978, leading to the founding of the Federalist Society, for which it is the...
- Founding Editor, Harvard Latino Law Review
- John M. Olin Fellow in Law and Economics, Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
External links
- Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate campaign website
- "Cruz Control: A Republican star rises in Texas," National Review, Mark Hemingway, May 4, 2009
- Ted Cruz’s Morgan Lewis law firm bio
- "Ted Cruz, hatching a site, expects Abbott to run for a different office," Austin American-Statesman, W. Gardner Selby, March 4, 2009
- "Justices listen to a key voice," The National Law Journal (cover story), Marcia Coyle, April 7, 2008
- Announcement of Ted Cruz's departure as Solicitor General
- "In state politics, his star is rising," Austin American-Statesman (front page story), Mark Lisheron, January 15, 2006
- Debating the Supreme Court's Heller decision with the DC Attorney General on News Hour with Jim Lehrer (video)
- "A Day in the life of... Ted Cruz," Texas Bar Journal, Kim Davey, Vol. 69, No. 7