Former Texas solicitor general R. Ted Cruz was the state Republican party’s go-to guy when it came to defending controversial issues in court. The one-time clerk to U.S. Supreme Court chief justice William Rehnquist successfully defended his state’s controversial mid-decade redistricting plan, as well as his state’s right to execute the mentally ill, and to refuse to recognize decisions from The Hague.
The 40-year-old attorney, who is currently a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, is hoping his success in the courtroom will propel him to the halls of the U.S. Senate. Looking to replace retiring senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Cruz is off to a strong start, raising $1 million for his campaign and getting a high-profile endorsement from Senator Mike Lee of Utah, a Tea Party darling. (Lee is a former appellate partner at the now-defunct Howrey.) “I’m running because I believe strongly in conservative and free market principles, and I think there is a tremendous need for someone to stand up and defend those principles,” says Cruz.
