Op-Ed on running on a third party ticket

By: Ted Cruz

(Sydney Hastings-Wilkins)

After extensive reflection and prayer, I decided to join forces with my colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham, to run on a third party ticket. We have been in the Senate together for over 6 years now, and while we haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, we felt that we needed to take action.

The two of us, respectively, have been vocal members of the Republican Party for years, serving large rolls as some of the most ideologically conservative members of Congress. We have been proud and loyal Republicans our entire lives, but in this election, we couldn’t let the Republican Party choose an unfit candidate again.

While I have tremendous respect for Senator Tim Scott, I do not agree with him on every issue and I do not feel as if he is the right choice to represent the Grand Old Party. Senator Scott and I have been friends and colleagues for a long time, and while I would be glad to work alongside him to strengthen his conservative platform, I had to enter the race in order to apply pressure to his campaign. I wanted to send a message to conservative Americans who feel left behind that they are heard and someone is working tirelessly for them.

We knew that we would cause some tension and division within the party if we decided to run, but so be it, it needed to be done. We knew we would face hardships on the campaign trail, but nothing worth fighting for comes easy. I’m proud to say that Senator Graham and I have persevered and worked hard to come from behind and try to gain support.

Entering the election as a third party ticket, we were aware of some of the challenges that would face us, such as no campaign staff, limited endorsements and coverage. But I am appalled by the treatment that we have received from various news outlets, especially conservative outlets, with whom we’ve had positive, long-standing relationships.

From polling and reporting low numbers of support for us before we even entered the race, to excluding us from the main debate and a constant unwillingness to sit down and have a conversation, it is simply ridiculous and disrespectful. Senator Graham and I have treated the press considerably better than our opponents yet we are still held back from the public eye.

I will be the first to admit, I am nowhere near the middle of the political spectrum. I am as conservative and I am a Texan. But I have learned over the years that we will go nowhere as a nation if we continue to become further polarized. The right and left are growing further apart and it is hurting our great nation.

At the end of the day, I am an American before a Texan and a Republican. I want what’s best for our country and the only way we can figure that out is if we are willing to work together and hear each other out.

This is what Senator Graham and I have been trying to accomplish throughout our campaign. Regardless of what we stand for, we have been trying to simply sit down with our fellow Americans and have a conversation. We have tried to sit down with the press. We have tried to sit down with the other candidates. But more times than not, we have been pushed away. This is the problem. We are pushing each other away rather than being unified under one nation.

Regardless of the results in this election, I pray for the sake of America and the people, that we can learn to listen, and have a respectful conversation with our brothers and sisters on the other side of the aisle.