MILWAUKEE — Ted Cruz has made no secret of his adoration for his father, Rafael, whom he calls his personal hero.
In speech after speech, the Texas senator and Republican presidential hopeful has recounted for audiences the story of how his father fought for freedom in Cuba before escaping to the United States to embrace the American dream. Rafael Cruz’s biography has been the emotional and inspirational bedrock of his son’s bid for the White House, and as such, he has been one of the senator’s busiest and most recognizable campaign surrogates.
But in recent days, Rafael Cruz has taken a smaller part in his son’s stump speech. On the trail in New York and Wisconsin, the Texas senator has instead started to talk more about his relationship with his mother, Eleanor Darragh, who thus far has played almost no public role in her son’s political career.
In a departure from speeches in early voting states like Iowa, Cruz’s remarks lately have been laced with his mother’s personal biography, as he tells voters of the influential role “strong women” have played in his life. He has described his mom as a brilliant woman who overcame daunting personal obstacles — including an alcoholic father who didn’t believe women should be educated — to be the first in her family to graduate from college. Later, he says, she battled sexism to become a successful computer programmer for the oil industry in an era when few women held such jobs.
Speaking to voters in Madison, Wis., on Wednesday, Cruz heaped praise upon his mom, now 81, calling her a career “pioneer” who has been “my best friend my entire life.” And as he did so, he looked across the stage where Darragh sat beaming — in what was her first campaign appearance ever. When it was Darragh’s turn to speak, her son directed her to hold the microphone closer so the audience could hear. The petite woman, with dark hair and features that closely resemble her son’s, fumbled with the microphone.
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Cruz’s mother wasn’t the only woman onstage. At her side was her son’s wife, Heidi, and Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard executive who endorsed Cruz when she ended her own bid for the Republican nomination. They each took turns speaking about being a professional woman balancing their work and family lives. And they spoke of how Cruz is the best choice for president because he has surrounded himself with strong women.
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.@HeidiSCruz and @CarlyFiorina are barnstorming Wisconsin. The response? "What a team!" https://t.co/6foPFUYjlU pic.twitter.com/NZM7wUUM02
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 1, 2016
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