U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, took a public stage for the first time Saturday afternoon since ending his run for president last week.
Heidi Cruz introduced her husband, who was the one of the last speakers to wrap up the 2016 Texas Republican Convention in Dallas.
Cruz has remained quiet since suspending his campaign and returning back to his day job in Washington. However, on Saturday delivered his first and highly-anticipated, public speech.
“It has been an incredible privilege to run, to campaign, to stand with each of you,” Cruz said on Saturday to a crowd of supporters holding “Thank You Ted” signs, “and I want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Cruz thanked his supporters, along with his family and running mate, Carly Fiorina. He told the crowd of delegates that he promises to continue fighting for the same conservative values he advocated during his campaign.
“America is and remains a center right country,” Cruz said. “We are and will remain a country built on common sense, conservative values, a country that embraces the Judeo-Christian values that built this nation.”
However, one thing Cruz did not mention on stage was his former competitor and the party’s presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.
Delegates at the convention expressed concern on Thursday, unsure if they would support Trump now that Cruz is no longer in the race.
State leaders, including Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), addressed those concerns throughout the week. Each spoke about the importance of unifying the Republican party, even if that means throwing their support behind Trump.
Cruz told the Texas Tribune on Saturday that he was in no rush to endorse Trump, but he does plan to stay involved in the race for the White House.
On Saturday, the last day of the three day convention, the Texas Republican Party also secured it’s platform. The roughly 7,000 delegates that were in attendance this weekend voted on Friday, and on Saturday the party announced that all of the items that were up for vote had passed.
The party also decided on the delegates that will represent Texas in July at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Among those delegates is Rafael Cruz, Ted Cruz’s father.
