Overview
- On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz told interviewers he will defer conversations about a 2028 run until after the November midterm elections and said his immediate focus is supporting GOP candidates.
- Reporting has shown Cruz quietly recruiting staff and asking people if they would work on a 2028 campaign, signaling that he is testing the waters without making a formal commitment.
- Vice President J.D. Vance declined to endorse or take a position on a Cruz bid when asked and described Cruz as a “very authentic and likable guy.”
- Fox Business host Larry Kudlow urged Cruz to announce shortly after the midterms, and Cruz’s recent flurry of TV appearances and travel have driven speculation about timing and strategy.
- A contested Republican primary is now the prevailing expectation because Vance is viewed as an early frontrunner and Cruz has already taken public jabs at Vance over his role in an aborted Iran memorandum of understanding, which could shape intraparty dynamics going forward.