Race to the Right
Ted Cruz Sets Sights on 'Moderate' Marco Rubio
With the two Republican presidential hopefuls on the rise, the Texas hardliner is subtly trying to undermine his rival.
Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz take part in the presidential debate at the Reagan library on Sept. 16, 2015, in Simi Valley, California.
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For Ted Cruz, the single biggest obstacle to winning the Republican presidential nomination may not be outsider candidates Donald Trump or Ben Carson, but his fellow first-term senator, Marco Rubio.
After strong debate performances, Cruz and Rubio—both 44-year-old Cuban Americans—saw their poll numbers rise and interest from donors jump. They are now locked in a third-place tie, according to a national Los Angeles Times poll ahead of Tuesday's debate in Milwaukee. As a result, Cruz and his allies have begun zeroing in on Rubio.