article_snippet: Ted Cruz, the conservative firebrand from Texas, became the first Republican to announce Cruz campaign for the presidency, and Cruz spent Monday morning telling a crowd at the largest Christian university in the world to imagine what the country will be like when Cruz takes office, and pitching Cruz personal history as a key part of Cruz campaign.
article_snippet: Monday's event was the last part of a carefully coordinated media rollout, following Cruz's announcement of his candidacy in a 30-second video message posted on Twitter shortly after midnight on Monday, roughly 24 hours after the Houston Chronicle first reported his planned announcement.
article_snippet: Not all in the audience were guaranteed Cruz supporters: Several attendees sported red "Stand with Rand" shirts, repping Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who is slated to announce his candidacy early next month.
article_snippet: Cruz's advisers envision a three-pronged strategy that focuses on dominating the tea party faction and competing in the libertarian and Christian conservative circles.
article_snippet: Jason Miller, an adviser to Cruz's campaign, confirmed that the campaign's fund-raising target is $40 million, and the campaign believes the campaign's fund-raising target is $40 million can raise $1 million in the first week.
article_snippet: Cruz this month finished an early-voting state tour to Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire -- and Cruz's scheduled to return to New Hampshire on March 28 to speak at a brunch in Rockingham County.
article_snippet: Depending on the Senate schedule the first week
article_snippet: , Cruz could possibly make more early-state trips, according to advisers.
article_snippet: After Cruz speech Monday, Cruz'll head up to New York for media appearances and a fund-raiser.
article_snippet: Cruz developed a loyal following when Cruz won Cruz 2012 primary battle in Texas as a little-known candidate, forcing then-Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst into a surprise runoff and ultimately defeating the establishment Republican.
article_snippet: Along with two other first-term senators who are expected to run for president (Rand Paul and Marco Rubio), Cruz will likely face questions over experience, an issue that Republicans brought up in 2008 against Barack Obama, who was also a first-term senator at the time.
article_snippet: Before running for the Senate in 2012 -- his first campaign for public office -- Cruz was solicitor general of Texas and argued before the Supreme Court.
highlights_snippet: Cruz announces candidacy in a video on Twitter .
  