Ted Cruz's campaign: We're 'surging' in 2016 race
In a memo released Thursday, the Cruz campaign said there's been a "strong surge" in national polling of Republican voters. The memo was titled: "Ted Cruz Surging."
"As we expected, Ted Cruz has seen a surge in support since his announcement on March 23rd," Cruz aide Chris Wilson wrote. "Both national numbers and numbers in key states are up as voters engage and seriously assess a Cruz candidacy."
Wilson cited several recent polls that have been released since Cruz officially launched his campaign on March 23. At the top of the memo, he pointed to a new Washington Post-ABC News survey published Thursday. In that poll, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) leads the Republican field with 20%, but Cruz is in second place with 13%.
"The survey was taken in the days after Cruz became the first Republican to formally announce for president. The former Texas solicitor general, running unabashedly as the true conservative in the race, enjoys his greatest support among the most conservative Republicans," The Post reported.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), who often polls towards the front of the pack, is just behind Cruz - with 12% - in the Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The memo seems to aim at deflecting criticism of his prospects in the 2016 primary. The New York Times recently published an analysis concluding Cruz has "a very small chance to win or no chance at all" because the Republican establishment opposes his candidacy. On the campaign trail, Cruz often cites that report as a badge of honor.
View the full Cruz memo below: