Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will keynote a big Iowa Republican dinner in October, putting the freshman senator in the spotlight of an early presidential nominating state once again.
Cruz will headline the Iowa Republican Party’s Ronald Reagan Commemorative Dinner on Oct. 25, the party announced Monday.
“Senator Cruz has quickly become nationally recognizable as someone who came to Washington to truly shake things up. Cruz has been a tremendous leader in holding the Obama administration accountable for the out of control debt and spending problems we face today. We are both honored and ecstatic to be having him keynote our fall Reagan Dinner,” said state party Chairman A.J. Spiker in a statement.
The freshman senator is making several trips to the state that holds the first nominating caucus of the presidential cycle each year. He made his first trip to the state last month and will return again next weekend for the Family Leader’s Family Leadership Summit.
Other Republican presidential hopefuls have also frequented the state: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul attended the same event as Cruz last month, and headlined the Iowa GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner in May.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan will keynote Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s birthday dinner in November, like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio did last year. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal also made a stop in the state last week.
Tickets start at $100 per person. For some extra money, attendees can sit at Cruz’s table, Branstad’s table or Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley’s table, or attend a VIP reception with Cruz.