Heidi Cruz Explained

Heidi Cruz
Birth Name:Heidi Suzanne Nelson
Birth Date:7 August 1972[1]
Birth Place:San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.
Party:Republican
Children:2
Education:Claremont McKenna College (BA)
Université libre de Bruxelles (MA)
Harvard University (MBA)

Heidi Suzanne Cruz (née Nelson; born August 7, 1972) is an American businesswoman. She has been a managing director[2] at Goldman Sachs since 2012.

Cruz completed her tertiary education at Claremont McKenna College, the Université libre de Bruxelles, and Harvard Business School. She was an economic policy adviser to George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign and subsequently held various positions in the Bush administration, including as an advisor to the Treasury Department and National Security Council. In 2005 she joined Goldman Sachs as a private wealth manager.

In 2001, she married future U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, with whom she has two daughters. In his 2016 presidential campaign, she took a leave of absence to work as his primary fundraiser and surrogate.

Early and personal life

Heidi Suzanne Nelson was born on August 7, 1972, in San Luis Obispo, California, to Suzanne Jane (née Rouhe),[3] a dental hygienist, and Peter Christian Nelson, a dentist.[4] Nelson was raised as a Seventh-day Adventist.[5] Her maternal grandfather Olavi Johannes Rouhe was from Savonlinna, Finland.[6] During a part of Nelson's childhood, she lived with her family in Kenya, Nigeria, and throughout Asia, where they served as missionaries, while both parents participated in dental health work.[5] [7] [8] [9] Nelson became interested in business as a child, and sold homemade bread with her brother, Scott.[10] [11]

Nelson attended Valley View Adventist Academy in Arroyo Grande, near her home town of San Luis Obispo. She completed her secondary education in 1990, at Monterey Bay Academy, an Adventist boarding school about 150 miles north in La Selva Beach, California.[11] Following high school, Nelson attended Claremont McKenna College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in Economics and International Relations in 1994.[12] While attending the school, she was active in the student Republican group.[13] While at Claremont McKenna, she studied abroad at the University of Strasbourg.[14] In 1995, she received a Masters of European Business degree from Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management of the Université libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium.[12] Her second graduate degree was an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2000.[5] [15] [16]

Subsequent to getting married in 2001, Cruz moved from Washington, D.C., to Texas in 2004, and experienced a period of depression as a result of the transition.[17] [18] [19] [20] Cruz and her husband have two daughters, Caroline and Catherine.[9] [21] Since 2011, she characterizes herself as the primary breadwinner of the family.[22] Cruz converted to the Southern Baptist denomination, though she still maintains a vegetarian diet in adherence with her Adventist upbringing.[23]

During the 2021 Texas power crisis, she and her family decided to vacation in Cancún, Mexico; Cruz reportedly messaged friends and neighbors to propose a stay at the Ritz-Carlton, partly on the grounds that the nightly rate was attractive.[24] [25] Cruz's messages and her role in the vacation placed her at the center of an international scandal;[26] in addition to leaving the state during a period of crisis, the Cruzes came under fire for traveling internationally both during the COVID-19 pandemic and during the deadly storm, thereby violating official government guidelines, the guidelines of the school where their daughters are enrolled, and Ted Cruz's own public recommendations.[27]

Career

In 2000, Nelson worked as an economic policy director on the Bush for President campaign, where she met her future husband Ted Cruz.[4] Following her marriage to Ted Cruz in 2001, she went on to work for the Bush administration; she began as a top deputy to U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Zoellick, focusing on economic policy.[28] [5] [29] Cruz worked as director of the Latin America desk at the Department of Treasury in 2002.[29] She taught herself how to speak Spanish between jobs.[30]

In 2003, Cruz reported directly to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. Cruz eventually became the director for the Western Hemisphere on the National Security Council where she "had Rice's ear."[31] During a New York Times interview, Cruz recalled enjoying her tenure with the Bush administration and found her work to be "personally fulfilling."[32] That year, she delivered the commencement address for the graduating class of Tennessee's Southern Adventist University.[17] After commuting between Washington, D.C., and her husband's home state of Texas for a year, she moved to Texas in 2004, where she briefly worked for Merrill Lynch.[22] She has previously worked for JPMorgan Chase.[11] In 2005, she began working for Goldman Sachs as a private wealth manager.[33]

From 2005 to 2011, she was an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations and was a member of the Independent Task Force on North America that in 2005, published a report entitled "Building a North American Community."[29] [34] Cruz sits on the board of directors for the Greater Houston Partnership.[35] After seven years at Goldman Sachs, Cruz was promoted in 2012, to regional head of the Southwest United States for the Investment Management Division in Houston.[5] [16] [36] In 2019, the Trump administration interviewed Cruz as a finalist for the position of president of the World Bank.[37]

Role in 2016 presidential campaign

Cruz took a leave of absence without pay to participate in her husband's 2016 presidential campaign.[9] During the campaign, she made multiple solo public appearances, speaking on her husband's behalf.[38] Former George W. Bush administration official Sara Taylor Fagen said she was successful in softening her husband's image, which she further argued was essential for "a candidate whose main obstacle to the Republican nomination may be tone and personality", though director of the SuperPAC Our Principles PAC Katie Packer argued her help could only go so far and voters would not support a candidate based on their spouse.[39]

Early campaigning

Early in her husband's campaign, Cruz's initial role was that of fundraiser, making calls to potential donors, seeking to "max out" investments to the Cruz campaign. Cruz's call list included donor names provided to her by a super PAC.[5] [40] [41] Campaign chairman Chad Sweet compared Cruz's ability to make campaign calls to her time at Goldman Sachs, stating, "There are very few spouses who can get on the phone on a cold call to a prospective donor and make a more compelling case in a personal and effective way than Heidi Cruz."[42]

Beginning in August 2015, Cruz regularly attended presidential debates in which her husband participated.[43] When asked what her role would be as First Lady, she expressed an intent to raise "the standard of living for those at the bottom of the economic ladder in this country", explaining that her interests are on "the economic side".[44] During a two-day trip to Alabama in November 2015, she delivered signatures and payment required for her husband to appear on that state's ballot at the Alabama Republican Party headquarters in Hoover.[45]

On December 3, Cruz returned to Texas to file paperwork for her husband's name to appear on the state ballot. She acknowledged she had previously filed for his name on ballots in previous states, but also said the Cruz campaign had "a campaign strategy that's built to last, and we have built a grass-roots army that this country hasn't seen since Ronald Reagan."[46] [47] Having made televised solo appearances on Fox Business Network,[48] and KTRK-TV,[49] it was noted by Patrick Svitek of The Texas Tribune that she had become more visible in the previous months than she had been before.[50]

Primaries

Cruz stumped for her husband in Iowa ahead of the 2016 Republican caucuses, appearing in the state multiple times.[51] Ted Cruz ultimately won the state,[52] [53] [54] [55] which she believed was due to "one strong voice of the people coming together".[56] For New Hampshire, another early primary state, it was reported in January that she would make stops there to rally support for her husband.[57] In February, Cruz was reported to be headlining a luncheon for Republican women in Reno, Nevada, days before the state's primary.[58]

Cruz's campaigning in Texas was viewed by commentators (including potential voters)[59] [60] [61] as essential to her husband's winning of his home state on Super Tuesday.[62] At the time of her campaigning in Texas, Ted Cruz was expected to win the state, the move being seen as the Cruz campaign not wanting to take any chances.[63] According to Cruz, both she and her husband were confident about his prospects of winning.[64] She emphasized the state as both her and her husband's home state.[65] [66] After Super Tuesday, Cruz herself subsequently campaigned independently in North Carolina,[67] [68] Illinois,[69] and Missouri.[70] [71] She then substituted for her husband in Fayetteville, North Carolina,[72] [73] speaking at Fayetteville Technical Community College in promotion of him,[74] and jointly appeared with her husband in Wisconsin.[75] Weeks before the state primaries, Cruz appeared in Indiana.[76] [77] Ted Cruz dropped out of the primary after a loss in Indiana to Donald Trump on May 3, 2016.[78] Prior to dropping out, Cruz was involved in a Twitter feud with Donald Trump after Trump retweeted a composite image of an unflattering photo of Heidi next to a photo of Melania Trump, captioning it with "No need to ‘spill the beans.’ The images are worth a thousand words.”[79]

Notes and References

  1. THE DEFINITIVE, CATEGORICAL, ALPHABETICAL GUIDE TO OUR NEXT FIRST LADY ... OR MAN. Vanity Fair. May 22, 2015 .
  2. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20121120044321/https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/goldman-sachs-names-266-managing-directors/. November 20, 2012. Goldman Sachs Names 266 Managing Directors. New York Times Dealbook. Sorkin. Andrew Ross. November 15, 2012 .
  3. Web site: The Birth of Heidi S. Nelson. California Birth Index. Heidi S Nelson was born on August 7, 1972 in San Luis Obispo County, California. Her father's last name is Nelson, and her mother's maiden name is Rouhe..
  4. Web site: Heidi Cruz, a San Luis Obispo native, campaigns now as wife of a presidential candidate. The Fresno Bee. April 18, 2015. Pemberton. Patrick S.. The McClatchy Company.
  5. Web site: Heidi Cruz Tries to Close Her Biggest Deal: Making Ted Cruz President, by Katie Zezima, The Washington Post . The Texas Tribune . October 30, 2015 . Katie . Zezima. The Washington Post. September 14, 2015.
  6. Web site: Savolaistaustainen Heidi Cruz: "Ted tuli kotiovelle ison kukkapuskan kanssa" – USA:n vaaleissa yhä Suomi-kytkös . Kuittinen . Teppo . March 15, 2016 . . fi . April 23, 2021 . Heidi Cruzin äidinisä oli alkujaan savonlinnalainen Olavi Johannes Rouhe..
  7. Web site: Los Angeles Blue Book. 1979.
  8. Web site: Peter C. Nelson, DDS School of Dentistry Loma Linda University . dentistry.llu.edu . September 5, 2013 . February 13, 2016.
  9. Web site: Who is Heidi Cruz?. March 23, 2015 . USA Today . Martha T. . Moore .
  10. Web site: Heidi Cruz is on a mission to make Ted more well-liked. Houston Chronicle. December 5, 2015. Diaz. Kevin. Hearst.
  11. Web site: Pemberton . Patrick S. . November 16, 2013 . Heidi Nelson Cruz's San Luis Obispo roots shaped her career, marriage to Tea Party darling. . June 13, 2019. The McClatchy Company.
  12. The Definitive, Categorical, Alphabetical Guide to our Next First Lady...Or Man . Vanity Fair . October 30, 2015.
  13. News: Meet Heidi Cruz: Hard-charging career woman, but first a loyal spouse . January 8, 2015 . Katie . Zezima. The Washington Post.
  14. http://www.vimeo.com/12926194 Heidi Nelson Cruz '94, Claremont McKenna College
  15. Web site: A Wife Committed to Cruz's Ideals, but a Study in Contrasts to Him . The New York Times . October 23, 2013 . October 30, 2015 . 0362-4331 . Ashley . Parker.
  16. Web site: Board of Directors & Staff Greater Houston Partnership . www.houston.org . October 30, 2015 . Greater Houston Partnership.
  17. Web site: Heidi Nelson Cruz: A Political Spouse Making Sacrifices and Courting Donors . January 18, 2016 . The New York Times.
  18. Web site: The Trials And Triumphs Of Heidi Cruz . March 18, 2015 . Coppins. McKay. Apper. Megan. Buzzfeed News. BuzzFeed.
  19. Book: Cruz, Ted . Ted Cruz: A Time for Truth . Broadside . 2015 . 178–180 . 978-0062365613.
  20. Web site: 7 Things You Never Knew About Ted Cruz That We Learned From Reading His Book . July 1, 2015 . Jessica . Hopper . ABC News.
  21. Cruz . Cruz . Ted . Heidi . . Ted Cruz Town Hall . . . Ted Cruz Town Hall . April 14, 2016 . April 13, 2016.
  22. Heidi Cruz didn't plan for this. October 18, 2018 . Plott. Elaina. The Atlantic.
  23. Web site: Heidi Cruz is her husband's not-so-secret weapon, but could she hurt his campaign?. Mascaro. Lisa. Los Angeles Times. January 31, 2016.
  24. News: Goldmacher. Shane. Fandos. Nicholas. 2021-02-18. Ted Cruz's Cancún Trip: Family Texts Detail His Political Blunder. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-02-19. 0362-4331.
  25. Web site: Barrabi. Thomas. 2021-02-18. Ted Cruz's wife, Heidi, invited neighbors to join Cancun trip in leaked texts: Report. 2021-02-19. Fox News. en-US.
  26. News: Washington. Maanvi Singh Joan E. Greve in. Bekiempis. Victoria. Gambino. Lauren. 2021-02-19. Texas storm: Ted Cruz defends trip to Mexico as power outages continue – as it happened. en-GB. The Guardian. 2021-02-19. 0261-3077.
  27. Web site: Barrabi. Thomas. 2021-02-18. Cruz admits Cancun trip 'obviously a mistake' as he returns to find protesters outside his Texas home. 2021-02-19. Fox News. en-US.
  28. Web site: Diaz . Kevin . December 5, 2015 . Ted Cruz's secret weapon: Heidi Cruz . . San Antonio, Texas . March 10, 2016. Hearst. Heidi Cruz parlayed her campaign experience into a prestigious job as an assistant to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, right-hand man to Bush family consigliere James Baker..
  29. Manley . John P. . Aspe . Pedro . Weld . William F. . May 2005 . Task Force Report: Building a North American Community . . . 53 . 175 . March 30, 2016.
  30. Web site: Five things to know about Heidi Cruz. Flores. Reena. CBS. March 24, 2016 .
  31. Web site: Levin . Matt . Fechter . Josh . March 25, 2016 . Why Heidi Cruz and Melania Trump might make better presidents than their husbands . . . March 31, 2016. She reported directly to Condoleezza Rice while in the Bush administration. Heidi Cruz worked on the Latin America desk at the Department of Treasury in 2002. She was later appointed director of Western Hemisphere on the National Security Council, where she had Rice's ear..
  32. Web site: Heidi Nelson Cruz Discusses Her Husband, Her Career and Campaign Fund-Raising . Flegenheimer. Matt. Eder. Steve. January 18, 2016 . The New York Times.
  33. Web site: For Ted Cruz and Chris Christie, Their Wives Are Their 'Secret Weapon' . January 14, 2016 . Daniel . Gross . Fortune.
  34. Web site: Schultheis . Emily . October 27, 2011 . A pit of vipers; also, his wife . . . March 30, 2016.
  35. Web site: Heidi Cruz. Greater Houston Partnership.
  36. News: Cruz's Wife Heidi to Take Unpaid Leave From Goldman . Bloomberg L.P. . October 30, 2015 . Michael J. . Moore. Bloomberg . March 23, 2015 .
  37. Web site: Trump interviews Heidi Cruz, once the subject of his ridicule, for World Bank post. CNN. January 31, 2019. Klein. Betsy.
  38. Web site: Republicans seek military caucus vote . October 21, 2015 . Aurora . Sain . The Record Courier.
  39. News: Heidi Cruz tries to rebuild bridges her husband burned on his way to the White House . . December 15, 2015.
  40. News: Heidi Cruz is asking super PAC donors to donate to her husband's campaign. Here's why they say that's OK. . October 15, 2015 . The Washington Post.
  41. Web site: What The Rise Of Two Young Cuban-Americans Says About The GOP's Future . November 6, 2015 . The Huffington Post . Howard . Fineman.
  42. Web site: Meet Ted Cruz's top fundraiser: his wife . August 21, 2015 . Theodore . Schleifer . CNN.
  43. News: Wednesday's GOP debate transcript, annotated . September 16, 2015 . The Washington Post.
  44. Web site: Heidi Cruz: Husband is attracting 'crossover votes' . MRT.com . August 12, 2015 . Cassie . Burton.
  45. Web site: Ted Cruz's wife Heidi Cruz rallies Mobile supporters . November 5, 2015 . Casey . Toner . Advance Local Media LLC.
  46. Web site: Ted Cruz is now on the Texas ballot . Bobby . Cervantes . Houston Chronicle . December 3, 2015.
  47. Web site: Heidi Cruz Files To Put Her Husband's Name On Texas Ballot . December 3, 2015 . CBS.
  48. Web site: Heidi Cruz: We Need a 10th Amendment Guy Like My Husband . December 10, 2015 . Julia . Limitone . Fox Business. Fox News Network. December 11, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151211180248/http://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/2015/12/10/heidi-cruz-need-10th-amendment-guy-like-my-husband/ . December 11, 2015 . dead .
  49. Web site: WHO IS HEIDI CRUZ? PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL WIFE'S SPEAKS TO ABC13 . December 7, 2015 . Tom . Abrahams. ABC Inc..
  50. Web site: Heidi Cruz Files to Get Husband on Texas Ballot . December 3, 2015 . Patrick . Svitek . The Texas Tribune.
  51. News: In Keokuk with wife Heidi, Ted Cruz checks off extreme southeast Iowa . Todd J. . Gillman . October 13, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160307205025/http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/10/in-keokuk-with-wife-heidi-ted-cruz-checks-off-extreme-southeast-iowa.html/. March 7, 2016. The Dallas Morning News. dead.
  52. Web site: With surge in Iowa, Ted Cruz's plan to win is clicking . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094942/http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20151213-with-surge-in-iowa-ted-cruzs-plan-to-win-is-clicking.ece. March 4, 2016. Gillman. Todd. December 13, 2015 . The Dallas Morning News.
  53. Web site: Heidi Cruz brings husband's message to Bay State supporters . January 8, 2016 . Evan . Lips . NewBostonPost.
  54. Web site: Cruz's wife rallies supporters to aid the cause . January 9, 2016 . Sentinel Enterprise News.
  55. Web site: Heidi Cruz joins husband on last day of Iowa bus tour . January 9, 2016 . Matthew . Patane . The Des Moines Register.
  56. Web site: Heidi Cruz campaigns for husband in Spartanburg . February 10, 2016 . Lavender. Chris. The State.
  57. Web site: Ted Cruz expands horizons beyond Iowa . January 3, 2016 . Jacqueline . Alemany . CBS News.
  58. Web site: Heidi Cruz to headline Washoe Republican women luncheon . February 13, 2016 . Reno Gazette-Journal.
  59. Web site: It's Heidi Cruz — Not Ted — Leading Final Push in Texas . February 28, 2016 . Patrick . Svitek.
  60. Web site: Heidi Cruz stumps for husband in Beaumont . Eric . Besson . February 26, 2016 . beaumontenterprise.com.
  61. Web site: Heidi Cruz makes a campaign stop in Beaumont . February 26, 2016 . 12newsnow.com . February 27, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160227101511/http://www.12newsnow.com/story/31326629/heidi-cruz-makes-a-campaign-stop-in-beaumont . February 27, 2016 . dead .
  62. Web site: Ted Cruz's wife, Heidi, to campaign in Beaumont . February 19, 2016 . beaumontenterprise.com.
  63. Web site: Heidi Cruz campaigns for husband Ted Cruz in Houston . February 26, 2016 . Jennifer . Bauer . Graham Media Group.
  64. Web site: Heidi Cruz, wife of Presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to E. Texas supporters . February 27, 2016 . Francesca . Washington . KLTV. ABC Inc..
  65. Web site: Heidi Cruz Stumps in Georgetown . Manisero. Stef. Austin. February 29, 2016.
  66. Web site: McCullough . Jolie . March 2, 2016 . Cruz, Clinton Grab Most Votes in Almost Every Texas County . . Austin, Texas . March 2, 2016 . With 100% of precincts reporting, Cruz, came away with 1,239,158 votes, or 43.8% of the total. Donald Trump followed behind with 757,489 votes, or 26.7% of the vote. Cruz, one of the state's two U.S. senators, got the most votes in all but six of the state's 254 counties..
  67. Web site: Heidi Cruz Campaigns in Cary Before North Carolina Primary . March 5, 2016 . twcnews.com.
  68. News: Heidi Cruz, McCrory among speakers at conservatives' meeting . The Washington Times. Associated Press. March 4, 2016.
  69. Web site: Heidi Cruz, wife of Ted Cruz, to visit Belleville on Tuesday . March 6, 2016 . The McClatchy Company . Casey . Bischel .
  70. Web site: Heidi Cruz visits Columbia before Missouri primary . March 11, 2016 . Deborah . Kendrick . ABC17 . The Networks of Mid-Missouri Columbia . March 13, 2016 . March 13, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160313111231/http://www.abc17news.com/abc17news/heidi-cruz-visits-columbia-before-super-tuesday/38474526 . dead .
  71. Web site: Heidi Cruz visits Columbia to promote husband's effort to overtake Trump . March 12, 2016.
  72. Web site: Ted Cruz cancels Fayetteville Tech visit . March 11, 2016 . Capital Broadcasting Company, Inc..
  73. Web site: Ted Cruz cancels Fayetteville appearance; wife to speak instead . March 14, 2016 . Nexstar Broadcasting Inc..
  74. Web site: HEIDI CRUZ BRINGS HUSBAND'S MESSAGE TO FAYETTEVILLE . Greg . Barnes . abc11.com. March 14, 2016 .
  75. Web site: Heidi Cruz cancels South Jersey visit . March 28, 2016 . Philly.com.
  76. Web site: Heidi Cruz stops in the Summit City for campaign office grand opening . Holly . Campell . April 23, 2016 . Nexstar Broadcasting Inc..
  77. Web site: Heidi Cruz campaigns in Indianapolis . April 22, 2016 . Kyle . Bloyd . Circle City Broadcasting.
  78. Web site: Flegenheimer . Matt . May 3, 2016 . Ted Cruz Ends His Campaign for President . . May 3, 2016.
  79. Web site: Logan . Bryan . 'The images are worth a thousand words': Trump shares an unflattering photo of Ted Cruz's wife . . 4 August 2024 . 23 March 2016.

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