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Sen. Ted Cruz, wife Heidi, and two daughters Catherine, 4, left, and Caroline, 6, practice waving on stage at Liberty University before Cruz's Monday launch presidential campaign launch. Andrew Harnik/AP hide caption

Sen. Ted Cruz, wife Heidi, and two daughters Catherine, 4, left, and Caroline, 6, practice waving on stage at Liberty University before Cruz's Monday launch presidential campaign launch.

The 2016 presidential campaign has its first official candidate. Republican Ted Cruz jumped into the race for the presidency, announcing his intentions in a tweet at 12:09 am EDT Monday morning.

"I'm running for president and I hope to earn your support!" the firebrand Texas senator tweeted simply with an embedded video.

"It's a time for truth," Cruz says in the 30-second video that shows pictures of Americana baseball, the Golden Gate and Brooklyn bridges, men walking in a factory. "A time to rise to the challenge, just as Americans have always done. I believe in America and her people and I believe we can stand up and restore our promise. It's going to take a new generation of courageous conservatives to help make America great again. And I'm ready to stand with you to lead the fight."

Though several candidates are testing the presidential waters in what is expected to be another crowded Republican field, Cruz is the first major candidate to outright declare he is running.

Cruz trails in early presidential primary polls. He pulled in just 4 percent of Republican primary voters in the latest CNN/ORC poll. An NBC/WSJ poll found Republicans split on whether they could support Cruz 40 to 38 percent.

Sen. Ted Cruz kisses his wife Heidi during a walk through Sunday night at Liberty University before Cruz's Monday presidential campaign announcement. Andrew Harnik/AP hide caption

But the ideological hardliner and his team hope he can capitalize on his popularity with the Tea Party and his reputation as an outspoken fighter of both Democrats and the Republican establishment.

Cruz is set to hold a more traditional announcement event Monday at Liberty University in Virginia. The setting is emblematic of the path Cruz hopes to carve out to the nomination. Liberty claims to be the largest evangelical Christian university in the world. It was founded by evangelical pastor Jerry Falwell in 1971.

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Republican Thorn Ted Cruz Announces Run For President