Two weeks ago, Texas Senator Ted Cruz took home second place in the annual Conservative Political Action Conference presidential straw poll. According to the Associated Press, Cruz isn't just taking up valuable space on ballots, but instead has been logging some serious hours in Iowa, fueling speculation he's gearing up for a 2016 run for the White House.
Texas tea party darling U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is making his fourth trip to Iowa in eight months, logging serious face-time before most other potential 2016 White House hopefuls in the state that kicks off presidential voting.
Cruz will keynote a Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators' event Tuesday in Des Moines before heading to Mason City for a GOP fundraiser with Iowa's U.S. Rep. Steve King, with whom Cruz went pheasant hunting. The trip comes five months after Cruz addressed the Iowa Republican Party's annual Ronald Reagan dinner, and he met with Christian conservatives and evangelical leaders during two visits last summer.
That's more Iowa trips than any of the other Republicans mentioned as possible presidential contenders, except for fellow tea party-backed U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
At this early stage is the presidential game, Cruz's biggest competitor is Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who won the CPAC straw poll and has also been logging a substantial amount of hours in Iowa.