Ted Cruz announces presidential bid

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas announced Monday morning he would run for president in 2016, becoming the first Republican candidate to declare himself officially in the race.

“God’s blessing has been on America from the very beginning of this nation, and I believe God isn’t done with America yet,” Cruz said during the announcement at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. “I believe in you. I believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America.”

A first-time senator, Cruz promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act, abolish the IRS and “defend the sanctity of human life and uphold the sacrament of marriage," according to the New York Times.

Read more from the New York Times.