National Government Sen. Ted Cruz Announces Presidential Campaign

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has announced his presidential candidacy.

The first-term Senator made the announcement on social media just after midnight on Sunday, tweeting: "I'm running for president and I hope for your support!"

The senator is known for his affiliation with the Tea Party and strong conservative views, and distaste for moderate views (or what he has called the "mushy middle"). He has called for abolishing the IRS and replacing the current tax system with a flat tax. He has also called for the elimination of the Departments of Education, Commerce and Energy, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.

Today, Cruz is expected to declare for a 2016 campaign in front of cameras for the first time at Virginia's Liberty University, the largest Christian university in the world.

While Cruz is the first prominent Republican to confirm that he'll be campaigning for the Oval Office, several other Republicans are expected to declare their candicacies soon as well. Those potential candidates include former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.