Iowa
Ted Cruz, under pressure to endorse Trump, says he’s watching Iowa
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Wednesday he is watching to see what happens in the Iowa caucuses next week as he faces increasing pressure to back frontrunner Donald Trump in his comeback bid.
In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Cruz said he has “an immense amount of respect for the Iowa caucuses and their procedures.” He won the critical first-in-the-nation contest when he ran for president against Trump eight years ago.
“I was a part of that process in 2016, so I have a special appreciation for it, and I learned intimately how unpredictable it can be,” Cruz said. “The people of Iowa take their responsibility very seriously. I hope we can get through the process quickly and continue to go about the critical business of beating Joe Biden.”
Cruz reiterated in the statement that the eventual GOP nominee will have his “full support.”
Trump has long led the polls in Iowa, though former Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone all in on the state and Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is contending there on her way to friendlier territory in New Hampshire. In recent weeks, Trump and his allies have grown increasingly frustrated with Cruz’s neutrality.
Cruz has maintained his neutrality in this Republican primary for months, calling himself “Switzerland” when asked about it at The Texas Tribune Festival last fall. Earlier in 2023, he said he saw a “two-man race between Trump and DeSantis,” whose political operation has included several former Cruz staffers.
Trump has used his social media platform, Truth Social, to target Cruz multiple times in recent weeks. In early December, Trump taunted Cruz and another holdout — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri — over their reelection campaigns last year, saying Democrats want to beat them and they “must be very careful, stranger things have happened!!!” Hawley endorsed Trump days later.
Last week, The New York Times reported that Trump is “privately ranting about and workshopping nicknames” for Republicans who have not endorsed him yet, including Cruz.
Cruz is running for a third term next year and has repeatedly emphasized the need for GOP unity in Texas.
“I’m staying out of [the presidential primary] for many reasons, one of which is that I’m running for reelection in the great state of Texas and we’re expecting a serious fight in Texas,” Cruz told Newsmax in August. He added that he would “like the support of every Trump supporter and every DeSantis supporter” in the state.
Cruz, of course, has a complicated history with Trump. They bitterly battled in the final stretch of the 2016 primary, and Cruz withheld his endorsement for weeks after Trump officially became the nominee. Cruz was a reliable ally for Trump in the Senate during his presidency, and Trump stumped for Cruz in his 2018 reelection bid.
In Texas, the 2024 presidential primary has not been competitive. Trump has led all recent public polling and earned the lion’s share of endorsements from GOP elected officials. That includes Gov. Greg Abbott, who endorsed Trump during an event at the Mexican border last month.
DeSantis’ biggest supporter in Texas has been U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin, who has traveled to Iowa multiple times to campaign for DeSantis. Roy is Cruz’s former chief of staff.
Texas’ other U.S. senator, John Cornyn, has been much less inclined to back Trump. He does not plan to endorse in the primary but has made clear he would prefer a new direction for his party, which has also angered Trump.
Disclosure: New York Times has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Iowa
Fatal crash on I-35 in Iowa
NORTHWOOD, Iowa (KTTC) – One person is dead after a single-vehicle crash Sunday afternoon in Worth County.
According to Iowa State Patrol, around 1:45 p.m., a vehicle was traveling southbound on Interstate 35 in Worth County near the 208-exit ramp. The driver lost control of the vehicle, went into the median, through the cable barrier and struck the bridge pillar.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Copyright 2024 KTTC. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Updating Iowa State rankings in college football polls ahead of UCF matchup
Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell praises linebackers’ efforts
It hasn’t been easy for Iowa State’s linebackers, who have been hurt by injuries, but players continue to step up for the Cyclones.
The latest college football polls have been released, and Iowa State keeps moving up.
Iowa State improved to 6-0 after beating West Virginia 28-16 on Saturday in Morgantown.
The Cyclones are now set for a matchup at home vs. UCF on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Iowa State rankings update
Where did Iowa State land?
On Sunday, Iowa State checked in at No. 12 in USATODAY US LBM coaches poll. Previously, the Cyclones were No. 13.
Iowa State climbed up to No. 9 in the newest AP Top 25 college football poll. Last week, the Cyclones were No. 11.
US LBM Coaches Poll
Here is a look at the new US LBM college football coaches poll top 25.
- Texas
- Oregon
- Penn State
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Miami (Fla.)
- Alabama
- LSU
- Clemson
- Tennessee
- Notre Dame
- Iowa State
- BYU
- Texas A&M
- Ole Miss
- Missouri
- Kansas State
- Indiana
- Boise State
- Pittsburgh
- Illinois
- Michigan
- SMU
- Army West Point
- Nebraska
Schools Dropped Out
No. 16 Oklahoma; No. 17 Utah
Others Receiving Votes
Oklahoma 81; Arizona State 49; Navy 37; Utah 31; Vanderbilt 26; Syracuse 13; UNLV 12; Iowa 12; Texas Tech 9; Liberty 9; Washington State 8; Memphis 4; Louisville 4; James Madison 3; Tulane 2
AP Poll
Here is a look at the new Associated Press college football poll top 25
- Texas
- Oregon
- Penn State
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Miami (Fla.)
- Alabama
- LSU
- Iowa State
- Clemson
- Tennessee
- Notre Dame
- BYU
- Texas A&M
- Boise State
- Indiana
- Kansas State
- Ole Miss
- Missouri
- PIttsburgh
- SMU
- Illinois
- Army West Point
- Michigan
- Navy
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:
Vanderbilt 68, Nebraska 62, Arizona St. 39, Oklahoma 36, Washington St. 32, Iowa 29, Texas Tech 18, Syracuse 13, Arkansas 13, Utah 7, Louisville 6, Southern Cal 5, Liberty 2, UNLV 1.
Reach Eugene Rapay at erapay@gannett.com and follow him on X/Twitter @erapay5.
Iowa
Becht, Hansen lead No. 11 Iowa State over West Virginia 28-16 for first 6-0 start since 1938
Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht believes the Cyclones have yet to hit their peak during their best start in 86 years.
Carson Hansen rushed for three scores, Becht threw a touchdown pass and No. 11 Iowa State beat West Virginia 28-16 on Saturday night.
The Cyclones (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) opened the season with six wins for the first time since 1938.
“I feel like we haven’t even played our best game yet as a whole — special teams, defense, and offense,” Becht said. The goal is “finding ways to get better each and every single week, and our mindset is just 0-0 and trying to win that next game.”
Iowa State forged a first-place tie in the league with BYU and idle Texas Tech.
The Cyclones broke open a close game by scoring two touchdowns after intercepting West Virginia’s Garrett Greene in the second half.
Becht found Eli Green on passes of 12 and 34 yards on consecutive plays to set up the Cyclones at the West Virginia 17. A third-down holding call on West Virginia cornerback Ayden Garnes gave Iowa State first-and-goal at the 3, and Hansen scored on the next play for a 21-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Jontez Williams made his third interception of the season on West Virginia’s next drive, and Iowa State took over at the Mountaineers’ 34. Hansen ran for 20 yards on the ensuing drive, capped by his 2-yard scoring run for a 28-10 lead with 4:42 left.
Hansen, a sophomore who also scored on an 11-yard run in the second quarter, finished with 96 rushing yards, one shy of the career high he set last week against Baylor. He ran for a total of 67 yards during an injury-filled freshman season.
“For him to consistently play the way he has the last couple of weeks, it’s awesome to watch,” Becht said.
West Virginia (3-3, 2-1) was held to 148 rushing yards against the league’s top defense after amassing 389 yards on the ground a week ago at Oklahoma State. The Mountaineers were hurt by several high snaps that threw off their timing and runs parallel to the line of scrimmage that lost yardage.
“In the second half, when it was winning time, we didn’t win,” said West Virginia coach Neal Brown. “We struggled to get into a rhythm.”
Becht completed 18 of 26 passes for 265 yards, including a 60-yard scoring toss to Jaylin Noel in blown coverage in the second quarter.
Becht’s father, Anthony, was honored on the field after the first quarter for his induction into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He played tight end for the Mountaineers from 1996-99 and 11 seasons in the NFL.
“You couldn’t ask for a greater night for his family,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said.
Rocco Becht said he wished he could have been there with his dad, “but I had bigger things going on trying to win this game.”
Jahiem White had an 8-yard scoring run and a 10-yard TD catch for West Virginia. Greene finished 18 of 32 for 206 yards.
Iowa State: The Cyclones answered the challenge on both sides of the ball in winning their seventh straight road game. Becht played smart and efficient, and the nation’s sixth-best scoring defense was stout again.
West Virginia: The Mountaineers many too many mistakes at key times and now have lost eight consecutive games to ranked opponents.
Iowa State might have a tough time moving up when the AP poll comes out on Sunday. The Cyclones were tied at No. 11 with Notre Dame, which beat Stanford 49-7.
Iowa State: Hosts UCF on Saturday night.
West Virginia: Hosts No. 18 Kansas State on Saturday night.
___ Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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