Ted Cruz at First Iowa Campaign Stop Appeals to Conservative Base

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the only declared candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, told an audience in Sioux City, Iowa that unlike his opponents he has been a distinctive and consistent voice on the issues conservatives care about, The Hill reported.

Speaking to over 100 people at Morningside College, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, he said that on a "dozen issues" that are significant to conservatives the other contenders in the race had not been outspoken. "Most of them you can find one issue, maybe two. But on the vast majority of the issues, a number of these other folks just haven't been there," the Hill reported.

He said that he was uniquely positioned to invigorate the GOP's conservative base and "bring back the millions of conservatives who have been staying home." The senator added, "Looking at the field, there are a lot of good people, but I don't see a lot folks that are likely to motivate and energize and mobilize the millions of conservatives to come out. I think we're in the best situation, based on my record, to do that."

Morningside is one of the most conservative regions of Iowa, according to The New York Times.

Cruz used his appearance to emphasize his support for Indiana's controversial religious liberty law. "I can tell you, I've had a proven record for over a decade of fighting to defend marriage," he said.

In Iowa, he will be competing for social conservative support against Dr. Ben Carson and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, the Hill reported.

He told the mostly evangelical audience that in advance of the Supreme Court's forthcoming decision on gay marriage "the first thing and most important thing every one of us can do is pray. Lift up in prayer."

Cruz recalled that when President Barack Obama declared his support for single-sex marriage, the pastor of his Southern Baptist church in Houston discarded his prepared sermon and instead led the faithful onto their knees in prayer over the course the country had taken, according to the Hill.

Since Cruz declared, his candidacy has picked up momentum putting him in the top tier with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, according to Public Policy Polling.

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