Is Ted Cruz running for president in 2028?

Ted Cruz, the U.S. senator from Texas, is a possible 2028 Republican presidential candidate. Cruz was the runner-up for the 2016 Republican nomination - the last major rival to Donald Trump in that primary - and he has said he expects to seek the presidency again 'at some point.' He has also been reported to be weighing a 2028 campaign, though he has made no formal announcement or FEC filing as of mid-2026.

Cruz registers in the low single digits in early 2028 Republican primary surveys - 2 percent in the Echelon Insights poll of June 11-14, 2026, 3 percent in the Focaldata poll of May 29 - June 1, 2026, and 4 percent in the Daily Mail/JL Partners poll of May 15-19, 2026. Vice President JD Vance leads every mid-2026 Republican primary survey, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio the most frequently cited alternative.

Cruz's eligibility drew scrutiny during his 2016 run because he was born in Calgary, Canada, to a U.S.-citizen mother, which made him a U.S. citizen at birth. The prevailing view among constitutional scholars is that a citizen at birth qualifies as a 'natural born citizen' under Article II, and legal challenges to his 2016 candidacy were dismissed. He competed in a full presidential primary without disqualification, and no new legal bar has emerged since.

Cruz is 55 years old as of mid-2026, well above the constitutional minimum of 35, and meets the 14-year U.S. residency requirement. His 2016 campaign established a national fundraising and organizing base that would give a 2028 bid a running start if he enters. The open question is whether he would challenge a field led by a sitting vice president or wait for a later cycle.