Columbia, South Carolina —
An ice cream social at a supporter’s house. A meet-and-greet with veterans. A roundtable with sheriffs. An evening rally at a sweltering barbecue joint and a winding photo line afterward.
Ted Cruz’s Monday schedule in South Carolina looked a lot like his itinerary a decade ago when he was campaigning for president here. But the Texas senator is not running again — at least not yet.
Rather, Cruz had traveled to the early GOP primary battleground to stump for state Attorney General Alan Wilson, a longtime ally who won Tuesday’s Republican runoff for governor.
From allies to adversaries, past supporters to potential rivals, and the primary voters who may ultimately decide his fate, there’s near-unanimous agreement in the Republican Party on this: Cruz is laying the groundwork for another presidential campaign, even if it means taking on Vice President JD Vance or whoever President Donald Trump ultimately endorses.
