Cruz campaign comes to Waco

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, right, greets Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after Abbott introduced Cruz and his wife, Heidi, during a campaign rally on Monday at Gilley’s nightclub in Dallas. Photo credit: Associated Press

Heidi Cruz, wife of presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, campaigned on Sunday at the local Heart of Texas Cruz Crew Center on Lake Air Drive.

Reps. Bill Flores and Charles “Doc” Anderson were among those in attendance, as well as Mel Birdwell, wife of Sept. 11 Pentagon attack survivor Brian Birdwell.

Holly Cobb, a volunteer for the campaign event, has been a volunteer for Sen. Cruz since before he was elected senator. She was asked to help as a medical volunteer for a summer rally because of her experience as an EMT.

“Initially that’s how I got started, but we’ve followed Ted Cruz all the way through and we knew. It was July 4, 2011, that we wanted him to run for president, so we’ve been pushing that since then,” Cobb said.

Heidi urged those present to take part in the voting process and was met with a majority show of hands when she asked who had already visited the polls.

“As far as I know, he’s the only one who has ever stood up against anything that Obama has done. So, to me, the decision was easy,” said Janet Kennedy, a Sen. Cruz supporter.

Valerie McGuire, another supporter in attendance, said she believes Sen. Cruz has proven himself by his composure and ability to get his message across.

“I appreciate the fact that he is taking the high ground and not resorting to name-calling and bully tactics,” McGuire said. “He sticks with it. That’s why we put him in as a senator — because he said he was going to stick up for his values, and he has.”

Heidi highlighted the many reasons she feels that her husband is the right man for the presidency. Among them were his plans to abolish ISIS, to retract executive orders made by President Barack Obama and to change the economy to support college graduates and those who are middle-aged without employment.

“There are a lot of things that can change immediately if you have the right president, if you have a president who understands the presidential powers and the congressional powers. Ted will do these things,” Heidi said.

She spoke of her personal goals, if she were to be first lady, which included a focus on younger generations and helping others.

At the campaign, Heidi listed reasons that Sen. Cruz has her heart, as well as her vote.

“This is a person who never forgets how to be thoughtful,” Cruz said. “That’s where he gets his peace. … It’s why he’s unflappable, it’s why he’s patient, it’s why he never burns down. So I want you to know that about the next leader of this country: that their heart’s in the right place.”

She often referred to her children, Caroline and Catherine Cruz, and their reaction to the current campaign. In her closing statements, Cruz mentioned Caroline’s sureness in their home-state voting for her dad.

“A [news debater] came on and said, ‘If the Cruz campaign doesn’t win Texas, this thing is going to change direction.’ Caroline walked right up to the TV and, only as a 7-year-old can, she goes, ‘Not gonna happen,’” Cruz said. “So, for Caroline Cruz, please deliver her home state.”