Cruz visits NH for first time as 2016 hopeful
Days after he officially began his White House campaign, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) made his inaugural New Hampshire trip as a candidate.
The Washington Post reported that Cruz spoke at a VFW hall in Merrimack and a dinner for young conservatives in Nashua on Friday. The pair of appearances mark Cruz’s first pass at Granite State voters since announcing his 2016 bid Monday.
“I am amazingly, powerfully, profoundly optimistic,” Cruz listeners in Nashua. “I’m optimistic because of each of you, the men and women in this room who will not let freedom go.”
{mosads}Cruz addressed the Young America’s Foundation New England Freedom Dinner in Nashua. The speech was not without controversy — the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) asked him not to attend due to Robert Spencer’s appearance at the same event. Spencer is an author who has courted controversy over his criticism of Islam.
The Post said the Cruz campaign honored its invitation after making a commitment to attend. The Texas lawmaker and Spencer did not speak at the same time, it added.
Cruz repeated many of his campaign’s early talking points during the visit. He reiterated promises that he would abolish the Internal Revenue Service, create a flat tax and repeal ObamaCare if elected.
“It is my intention the next two years, every day, to take the case to the American people that ObamaCare is the biggest job-killer in the country,” Cruz said in Nashua.
Cruz revealed Tuesday that his family must sign up for health insurance through the ObamaCare exchange. He lost coverage after his wife Heidi took an unpaid leave from her position at Goldman Sachs to join his campaign.
Texas lawmakers gave Cruz’s candidacy a chilly reception after its creation earlier this week. As of Friday, none of the 25 House GOP Texans have endorsed their colleague.
Donors were kinder to Cruz’s entrance to the 2016 race. The noted Tea Party darling raised over $1 million in funds Tuesday only 36 hours after declaring his candidacy.
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