Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Tuesday that he would run again for president “in a heartbeat,” adding that based on the historical data he had solid chances of becoming “the next nominee.”
Cruz gave an interview to The Truth Gazette, fragments of which was posted Tuesday, where he was asked if he would “ever consider another run for president.”
“Absolutely. In a heartbeat,” Cruz responded. “I ran in 2016. It was the most fun I had in my life … I ended up placing second.”
“You know, there is a reason historically that the runner-up is almost always the next nominee,” he said, recounting the examples of former Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, and former Republican presidential nominee John McCain.
EXCLUSIVE: I asked Sen. @TedCruz if he would ever consider another run for President.
His response: “Absolutely, in a heartbeat. I ran in 2016…very strong field and I ended up placing 2nd.”
“…there’s a reason historically that the runner up is almost always the next nominee.” pic.twitter.com/5U3EhkqgXp
— The Truth Gazette (@Truth_Gazette) December 22, 2021
The senator also mentioned having raised more than $92 million in funds for his presidential campaign in 2016, which he said was “the most money any Republicans ever raised in the history of presidential primaries.” (RELATED: ‘Wild-Eyed Leftist’: Ted Cruz Rattles Biden Nominee Over His Past Statements)
In the first three quarters of 2021, Cruz, who is not up for reelection until 2024, managed to raise over $14 million from more than 179,000 donors, which is an impressive number for someone who is not facing an election in the next four years.