WASHINGTON — Ted Cruz's Senate primary victory in Texas will provide a boost for tea party-backed, no-compromise conservatives in Congress.
His all-but-sure win in November will increase the number of tea party-aligned senators to six. And as many as seven more could win election, ensuring a bigger impact on both politics and policy on Capitol Hill — even if Democrats retain a Senate majority and the White House.
Dozens of tea party-supported candidates won House seats two years ago, but only four were elected to the Senate. Cruz is predicting his arrival will be part of a larger movement. He says voters are seeing "a great awakening."