The Cruz Campaign Is Up to Something in Texas

He didn't take Nebraska, but Ted Cruz has been dropping hints that he may restart his presidential bid, and news out of Texas leant a bit of momentum to that rumor. "We have a busy weekend planned," a source said to be familiar with Cruz's camp coyly tells Politico, which notes that the senator is due to give a speech at Texas' GOP convention, which starts Thursday in Dallas, and that he has dispatched a paid adviser there as well. The Cruz camp's supposed strategy: to influence Texas, and eight other state conventions happening this week, in picking a total of 389 delegates (about one-fifth of the total) so he can then get people he trusts to dump Trump and perhaps force a contested convention. One thing seemingly putting the kibosh on a reinvigorated run for Cruz, however: papers filed Wednesday—Gawker adds "papers for continued public humiliation"—with the Federal Election Commission and the Senate's Office of Public Letters, Breitbart reports.

The letter notes that, as of May 4, "Senator Ted Cruz is no longer a candidate for President of the United States. As of that date, his 2018 campaign for the United States Senate and his campaign committee Ted Cruz for Senate have been reactivated." That official reactivation means his Senate campaign committee can now raise money for a reelection bid, per NBC DFW. Cruz was also asked point-blank at a Wednesday press conference if he planned to vie for Senate again, per CNN, to which he simply responded, "Yes." Cruz was back at Capitol Hill Tuesday, warmly greeted by some with applause and fist bumps, but others, such as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, "were a few steps from Cruz but didn't seem to notice or care he was back," per CNN. (More Ted Cruz stories.)