Cruz staffer leaves to run 2016 super-PAC

A staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is launching a group to draft the senator for a White House bid.

{mosads}Cruz regional director Raz Shafer is leaving Cruz’s official office to run Draft Ted Cruz for President, a group whose goal is to gather 1 million signatures on a petition urging Cruz to run.

“I’m convinced that if we want to win the White House in 2016, we must nominate a consistent, full-spectrum conservative. We need a candidate who stands for something and won’t back down when the liberals launch their attacks,” Shafer writes in an op-ed on the conservative RedState.com announcing the group’s formation.

“That is why I am launching a new political action committee to draft Ted Cruz for President. With your help, we will draft, nominate, and elect Ted Cruz as the 45th President of the United States.”

The move is the latest sign that Cruz is seriously gearing up for a presidential race. The freshman Texas senator was in Iowa once again earlier this week and is widely expected to run.