Sen. Ted Cruz had a strong showing of support at the 2015 Value Voters Summit in Washington, D.C., confirming that he is a top choice for many social conservatives. The Texas Senator won the event’s straw poll for the third year in a row with a large portion of the vote, despite having less than 7 percent in the national polls.
In his speech on Friday, Cruz differentiated himself from some of the establishment candidates in the Republican field.
“If you see a candidate Washington embraces, run and hide,” he told the audience.
Students from Liberty University working for the Cruz campaign were among the crowd of supporters.
Liberty’s “Cruz Crew” coordinator, Ashley Traficant said she respects Cruz for his willingness to stand on conviction, despite the political risks.
“It’s exciting to campaign for a candidate like Senator Cruz, that I can completely get behind,” she said. “This is a pivotal election in our nation’s history. We need a commander-in-chief who stands for the people and the Constitution, Ted Cruz will be that kind of president.”
By creating a presence on social media and collaborating with other student groups at Liberty to expand their reach, the students are trying to rally support for Cruz by targeting specific aspects of his platform that students can relate to, while differentiating his policy positions from those of the current administration, Traficant said.
Alec Sackett, another Liberty student who also serves as the Virginia State Director for the Millennials for Cruz Coalition, said he believes that the volunteer force behind the Cruz campaign will be able to help carry him to the general election.
This article is from Red Alert Politics’ Campus Correspondent Program. Would you like to contribute a story from your school? Apply here to be a Campus Correspondent for RAP!
