Ted Cruz

Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (born December 22, 1970) is the junior United States Senator from Texas. Elected in 2012, he is the first Latino to hold the office of US Senator from Texas. Cruz is a member of the Republican Party. He served as Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to May 2008, after being appointed by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. Between 1999 and 2003, Cruz 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 U.S. President George W. Bush on the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. Cruz was also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, where he taught U.S. Supreme Court litigation, from 2004 to 2009. Cruz is one of three Latinos in the Senate; the others — also Americans of Cuban ancestry — are fellow Republican Marco Rubio of Florida and Democrat Bob Menendez of New Jersey.
== Tossup Questions ==
# This man's first role in the federal government was as head of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission. This man said that his view of lizards was that "they make darn fine boots" while criticizing the EPA's protection of endangered species at the 2013 CPAC. After serving as his state's Solicitor General, this man defeated Democrat Paul Sadler in the general election after receiving Tea Party support in a divisive primary against David Dewhurst, his state's Lieutenant Governor. This Senator was born to oil industry workers in Alberta, Canada. Ironically, this conservative's father fought for Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution, but that did not prevent this Republican from winning the seat once held by Kay Bailey Hutchinson. For 10 points, name this newest Senator from Texas.
# This politician was criticized for not disclosing his holdings in Caribbean Equity Partners Investment Holdings LTD when he ran for office. This person's father, a pastor for Purifying Fire Ministries, said he would like to send President Obama "back to Kenya". This politician took the seat formerly held by Kay Bailey Hutchison by winning his only election in 2012. Saying that he didn't need 99 new friends in the Senate, this person gave the fourth-longest speech in U.S. Senate history in September 2013 in an effort to defund the Affordable Care Act. Name this senator from Texas.
Category:U.S. Leaders