Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is reportedly laying the groundwork for a possible 2028 presidential campaign, quietly asking potential staffers whether they would be willing to join another White House bid.
Cruz, who previously sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, has approached people about working for a potential campaign, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night, citing individuals familiar with the requests.
The Texas conservative competed in a particularly bitter Republican primary against Donald Trump in 2016. Trump ultimately secured the GOP nomination and went on to win the presidency.
Following Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election, Cruz chose not to enter the 2024 Republican primary. Trump instead cruised past a field that included Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Now, Cruz appears to be positioning himself for a possible battle against Vice President JD Vance, who is widely expected to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.
Although the next presidential race has not formally begun and the November midterm elections remain ahead, potential contenders are already drawing attention.
Vance currently leads early polling among possible Republican candidates. The vice president has also been campaigning for candidates facing difficult races and raising money for the Republican Party.
Cruz, meanwhile, has been putting in his own political groundwork. The senator has traveled to Iowa, appeared on numerous podcasts and launched a book tour, according to the Journal.
Behind the scenes, Cruz has also begun asking people whether they would be interested in working on a 2028 campaign, the newspaper reported.
A spokesperson for Cruz declined to comment to the Journal about the potential presidential bid.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also been mentioned as a possible candidate in 2028. However, Rubio has said that he does not intend to challenge Vance for the nomination.
Cruz has shown little reluctance to criticize Vance, particularly over the vice president’s involvement in negotiations that produced an ultimately abandoned memorandum of understanding with Iran during the ongoing war.
“JD negotiated the MOU with Iran. That was a terrible deal,” Cruz said.
While blaming Vance for the negotiations, Cruz did not criticize Trump, who signed the agreement.
The Texas senator has also targeted Vance over the vice president’s association with Tucker Carlson, according to the report.
Despite Cruz’s early moves and criticism of Vance, members of the vice president’s political circle reportedly are not treating the senator as a serious obstacle.
Those close to Vance have dismissed the prospect of a Cruz presidential campaign, arguing that the Texas Republican would not represent a significant threat to Vance’s chances of winning the party’s nomination.
Cruz has not formally announced a campaign, and the 2028 Republican race remains years away. Still, his outreach to possible staffers, appearances in Iowa and public jabs at Vance suggest the former presidential candidate is considering another run.
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