INDIANAPOLIS — Presidential candidate Ted Cruz promised tax cuts, job creation and religious freedom to a sold-out crowd at the Indiana Republican Spring Dinner on Thursday in Indianapolis.
The dinner and Cruz’s visit come ahead of Indiana’s May 3 primary.
Cruz, the second Republican candidate to visit Indianapolis this week, promoted Indiana politics as a model for how the United States should be run and how he would like to lead as president.
“This next election will focus on three things: jobs, freedom and security,” Cruz said.
Cruz laid out his platform, which was echoed in speeches by Sen. Dan Coats and Gov. Mike Pence.
Cruz advocated for abolishing the IRS, repealing the Affordable Care Act, instituting a flat tax, job creation through infrastructure projects, school choice and religious freedom legislation.
All three Republican primary candidates — Cruz, Donald Trump and John Kasich — were said to be invited.
Gov. Mike Pence met with Trump, the Republican presidential frontrunner, Wednesday in Indianapolis, as well as with Cruz prior to Thursday’s event.
Pence did not endorse either candidate, and said he would support whoever defeated Democrats in the general election.
Because Indiana’s primary is much later compared to the majority of states’, the votes cast are usually not as decisive to whom a party’s candidate will be.
Because Republican and Democratic frontrunners are relatively close, however, Indiana will play a critical role in who will win either nomination.
“Indiana’s a megaphone to the country will decide which path this party goes down, and which path this nation goes down,” Cruz said.
Trump and Cruz have 845 and 559 pledged delegates, respectively, while Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have 1,930 and 1,189 pledged delegates, respectively.
Cruz, Pence and Coats all discussed religious freedom, saying America will not be a great nation unless Judeo-Christian values are secured.
“If you believe in religious freedom, if you believe in civil liberties, you are one liberal injustice away from it being stripped from you,” Cruz said.
Other speech themes included job security for manufacturing and coal industries and how to defeat Clinton in the general election. Cruz praised Pence for his support of religious freedom legislation and tax cuts, calling Pence an example of what Republicans should be like as policy makers.
He also promoted school choice, calling it the “social justice issue of the 21st century,” and praised Pence for promoting school choice and voucher programs.
A small group of anti-Pence protesters were outside the event and were relatively calm.
Cruz did not choose to criticize Trump for the way he has run his campaign, but rather for what he means to other Republicans.
“If (Trump) wins, we will lose two-thirds of Congress, and then we have no chance of beating Hillary Clinton,” Cruz said.
He did say, however, he was glad to be a part of an exciting election, for both parties.
Pence agreed, saying he is excited to see Indiana play a significant role in the election and is optimistic about Republican victories at the state and federal level.
“The best days for Indiana, and for America, are yet to come,” Pence said.
