Who is Ted Cruz?

When I received the assignment to photograph Texas Senator Ted Cruz for GQ I had heard his name once or twice. Boy has that changed in the last month.

Politics aside, the experience of working with the Senator and his staff was a wholly positive one. They were welcoming and friendly, including offering Dr. Pepper about every 30 minutes (apparently home state giveaways are encouraged in the Senate offices).

The Senator gave me a tour of their offices and told me the stories behind a number of mementos, in particular about his time working for Justice William Rehnquist. Cruz has a quiet charm, and talks in a way that shows a genuine joy and awe with the places he’s been and the people he’s worked with.

There has been a lot of talk of Senator Cruz’s role in the government shutdown and a near universal belief that he lost this battle, and at great cost. But having spent just a little time with the man my guess is that he’ll remain a D.C. presence and will continue to surprise.

Top Image: Senator Ted Cruz, with a Justice William Rehnquist bobblehead (of course). 

Bottom Image: The photographer and the Senator.