Senator Ted Cruz becomes first to jump into 2016 US Presidential fray

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has launched a White House bid hours ahead of an expected Monday morning announcement at Liberty University.

He took to Twitter just after midnight to tell his supporters: "I'm running for president, and I hope to earn your support!," reported The Washington Post.

With the announcement, Cruz has become one of the first major presidential contenders to formally declare his candidacy for the 2016 presidential elections, a move likely to upend the dynamics of the nascent presidential race.

Cruz, the combative conservative leader who has made "liberty" the clarion call of his politics, is due to speak about his White House bid at Liberty University, a campaign adviser said.

By leaving out the step of forming an exploratory committee and jumping right into the race by announcing his candidature, Cruz has provided a jolt to the field that has so far been sleepy. The announcement will now persuade other candidates to declare their candidacy. His entry into the fray also gives other Republican contenders including, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a tough rival on the right.

The 44-year-old is a Harvard-and-Princeton-educated lawyer who was elected to the Senate in 2012 and is best known for opposing President Barack Obama's health-care law in 2013. The campaign led to a 16-day government shutdown.

Cruz's numerous battles against the Obama administration and with leaders of his own party has turned him into a hero to many conservatives and left him with a powerful national network of small-dollar donors. He will seek to raise 40 to 50 million dollars for his presidential bid.