Ted Cruz is from the United States.
Rafael Edward `` Ted '' Cruz -LSB- ˈkruːz -RSB- -LRB- born December 22 , 1970 -RRB- is an American politician and attorney , who has served as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013 .. Texas. Texas. United States. United States. junior. Seniority in the United States Senate. United States Senator. United States Senator. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 election .. Republican. Republican Party ( United States ). United States. United States. Republican nomination. Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016. President of the United States. President of the United States. 2016 election. United States presidential election, 2016. Cruz graduated from Princeton University , New Jersey , in 1992 , and from Harvard Law School , Massachusetts , in 1995 .. Princeton University. Princeton University. Harvard Law School. Harvard Law School. From 1999 to 2003 , he served in various political appointee positions  : the Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission -LRB- FTC -RRB- , an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice , and a Domestic Policy Advisor to George W. Bush on the 2000 George W. Bush Presidential campaign .. United States. United States. Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission. Associate Deputy Attorney General. United States Deputy Attorney General. United States Department of Justice. United States Department of Justice. George W. Bush. George W. Bush. George W. Bush Presidential campaign. George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000. Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas , from 2003 to 2008 , appointed by Texas Attorney General , Greg Abbott .. Texas. Texas. Solicitor General. Solicitor#United States. Texas Attorney General. Texas Attorney General. Greg Abbott. Greg Abbott. He was the first Hispanic , and the longest-serving , Solicitor General in Texas history .. Texas. Texas. Solicitor General. Solicitor#United States. From 2004 to 2009 , Cruz was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin , Texas , where he taught U.S. Supreme Court litigation .. Texas. Texas. Adjunct Professor. adjunct professor. University of Texas School of Law. University of Texas School of Law. Austin. Austin. Cruz ran for the Senate seat vacated by fellow Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison and , in July 2012 , defeated Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst during the Republican primary runoff , 57 -- 43 % .. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Republican. Republican Party ( United States ). Lieutenant Governor. Lieutenant Governor of Texas. David Dewhurst. David Dewhurst. primary. primary election. runoff. runoff election. Republican primary. Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016. He defeated former State Representative Paul Sadler in the November 2012 general election , winning 56 -- 41 % .. Paul Sadler. Paul Sadler. He is the first Hispanic American to serve as a U.S. Senator representing Texas , and is one of three senators of Cuban descent .. Texas. Texas. Hispanic American. Hispanic American. Cuban. Cuban American. He chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight , Federal Rights and Agency Activities , and is the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Space , Science and Competitiveness .. In November 2012 , he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee .. Republican. Republican Party ( United States ). National Republican Senatorial Committee. National Republican Senatorial Committee. Cruz began campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination in March 2015 .. Republican. Republican Party ( United States ). Republican presidential nomination. Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016. During the primary campaign , his base of support was strongest with `` women , white evangelical Protestants , people over the age of 50 , and those who identified themselves as conservatives '' , though he had crossover appeal to other factions within his party , including libertarian conservatives and millennials .. primary. primary election. libertarian conservatives. Libertarian conservatism. Cruz 's victory in the February 2016 Iowa caucuses marked the first time a Hispanic person won a U.S. presidential caucus or primary .. primary. primary election. Iowa caucuses. United States presidential election in Iowa, 2016#Republican caucus. He eventually emerged as the main challenger to frontrunner Donald Trump .. Donald Trump. Donald Trump. He suspended his campaign for president on May 3 , 2016 , after losing the Republican primary in Indiana to Trump .. Republican. Republican Party ( United States ). primary. primary election. Republican primary. Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016. Indiana. Indiana