Ted Cruz's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A closer look at the biggest achievements of Ted Cruz. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.
Ted Cruz is an American politician and attorney currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas, a position he has held since 2013. As a member of the Republican Party, Cruz's political career includes his prior role as the Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008. He is known for his conservative views and has been a prominent figure in numerous political debates and legislative initiatives within the U.S. Senate.
1988: Graduated as valedictorian
In 1988, Ted Cruz graduated as valedictorian from Second Baptist High School in Houston.
1992: Debate championship wins
In 1992, Ted Cruz won top speaker awards at both the U.S. National Debating Championship and the North American Debating Championship. He was also named U.S. National Speaker of the Year.
1995: Graduated from Harvard Law School
In 1995, Ted Cruz graduated from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor degree magna cum laude.
2003: Defended Texas congressional redistricting plan
In 2003, Ted Cruz served as lead counsel for the state of Texas and successfully defended the state's congressional redistricting plan.
2008: Named one of the 50 Best Litigators
In 2008, American Lawyer magazine recognized Ted Cruz as one of the 50 Best Litigators under 45 in America.
2010: Named one of the 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers
In 2010, Texas Lawyer named Ted Cruz one of the 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter Century.
2012: Tea Party victory
In 2012, Ted Cruz ran as a Tea Party candidate and achieved a significant victory in the Republican primary.
2012: Elected to the U.S. Senate
In 2012, Ted Cruz was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first Hispanic American U.S. senator from Texas.
October 2013: Cruz Wins Values Voter Summit Straw Poll
In October 2013, Ted Cruz won the Values Voter Summit presidential straw poll with 42% of the vote, signaling early interest in a potential presidential run.
2014: Cruz Wins Presidential Straw Polls
In 2014, Ted Cruz won two presidential straw polls: the Republican Leadership Conference with 30.33% of the vote and the Republican Party of Texas state convention with 43% of the vote.
June 30, 2015: Cruz's Book Published
On June 30, 2015, HarperCollins published Ted Cruz's book, A Time for Truth: Reigniting the Promise of America, which quickly became a bestseller.
February 1, 2016: Cruz Wins Iowa Caucus
On February 1, 2016, Ted Cruz won the Iowa caucuses with 28% of the vote, becoming the first Hispanic to win a presidential primary election or caucus.
March 1, 2016: Cruz Wins Multiple States on Super Tuesday
On March 1, 2016, Super Tuesday, Ted Cruz won Texas by 17%, along with Alaska and Oklahoma, securing a total of four state primary victories.
March 8, 2016: Cruz Wins Idaho Primary
On March 8, 2016, Ted Cruz won the Idaho primary with 45% of the vote, defeating Donald Trump by 17% and securing his seventh statewide victory.
April 6, 2016: Cruz Wins Wisconsin Primary
On April 6, 2016, Ted Cruz won the Wisconsin primary with 48.2% of the vote against Donald Trump's 35.1%. This marked Cruz's tenth statewide victory and secured him 36 delegates.
2016: Cruz's 2016 Republican Presidential Primaries Performance
In the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Ted Cruz received over 7.8 million votes, won 12 states, and earned 559 delegates. He raised nearly $92 million, a record for a Republican primary candidate, and had more than 325,000 volunteers.
March 6, 2018: Cruz won Republican nomination for reelection
On March 6, 2018, Ted Cruz easily won the Republican nomination for reelection to a second term with over 80% of the vote in the primary elections.
November 6, 2018: Cruz defeated Beto O'Rourke in general election
On November 6, 2018, Ted Cruz defeated Beto O'Rourke by a slim margin of 50.9% to 48.3% in the general election.
2018: Re-election to the Senate
In 2018, Ted Cruz was re-elected to the U.S. Senate in a close race against Beto O'Rourke.
May 2022: Supreme Court sided with Cruz in FEC v. Ted Cruz for Senate
In May 2022, the Supreme Court sided with Ted Cruz in FEC v. Ted Cruz for Senate, allowing him to ask donors to help repay $555,000 he loaned to his campaigns.
2024: Won third term in the Senate
In 2024, Ted Cruz decisively secured his third term in the U.S. Senate, defeating Colin Allred.
