Ted Cruz Not Canadian Anymore

Ted Cruz

About a year after it was revealed that he was considered a citizen of Canada under Canadian law, Texas Senator Ted Cruz has completed the process of renouncing his Canadian citizenship:

It’s official: Sen. Ted Cruz is no longer a dual citizen of Canada.

The Texas senator “has formally renounced his Canadian citizenship and pursuant to the Citizenship Act will cease to be a citizen,” according to the renunciation certificate provided to The Dallas Morning News. The switch became official May 14, per the certificate.

He got the news by mail at his Houston home Tuesday, the newspaper reported.

Cruz had been pursuing the renunciation ever since he released his birth certificate to the paper last August. The release intensified scrutiny of a potential 2016 run.

Cruz’s dual citizenship came from the fact that he was born in Alberta, but also became a natural born American citizen due to the fact that his mother was a citizen at the time of his birth. Those facts caused some to wonder if he would be eligible to run for President in 2016, but the answer that is obviously yes. Nonetheless, when his dual citizenship status was revealed, Cruz announced that he would move to renounce his Canadian citizenship, and it now appears to have completed the process. Whether that means anything regarding his intentions in 2016, I’ll leave for other to figure out.

FILED UNDER: US Politics, , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. mantis says:

    Where’s the long-form renouncement certificate? What is Cruz hiding??!!?!?!!!!

  2. Maggie says:

    Hmmm……. Cruz IS a viable candidate for President because HIS MOTHER was a NATURALIZED CITIZEN “at the time of his birth.” GOP has no problem with that.
    Yet, Obama’s mother was a NATURAL BORN citizen of the USA when he was born in Hawaii, but to this days the birthers are decrying his legitimacy as president..

    Me thinks I smell (at the least) a DOUBLE STANDARD for TEA PARTY BRANCH of GOP candidates (and at the most), and probably the OBVIOUS reason, it gave those who are leery of a (half) black man being leader of this country a good excuse to hate him publicly without being labeled “racist”.

    Not saying Obama has been the greatest prez on record, but he is just as legitimate as the rest of them.

  3. CSK says:

    @Maggie:

    No, Cruz’s mother was a natural-born citizen, born in Delaware to U.S. citizens. But for the rest, you’re right. Obama is just as much a U.S. citizen as Cruz–perhaps more so, since he was born in Hawaii.

    I think Cruz will do a Palin fan-dance regarding the presidency. He’ll lead people to believe he’ll run, get lots of donations to his PAC, and then decline to run at the very last minute.

  4. rudderpedals says:

    Now if only he would renounce his un-American demagoguery. I suppose it’s a start.

  5. Tillman says:

    And Canada heaved a sigh of relief.

    @Maggie: @CSK: That’s not even the fun part. The fun part is that when McCain was nominated to be the Republican candidate for president in 2008, his eligibility for president was questionable, not Barack Obama’s.

  6. al-Ameda says:

    When is he going to renounce his American citizenship – after Hillary Clinton is elected president?

  7. alkali says:

    I’m not a Cruz fan, but it makes some sense that a constitutional officer of the United States ought not have double citizenship, even in respect of a longtime ally like Canada.

  8. Pinky says:

    There goes his guest shot on Supernatural.

  9. pylon says:

    a. has he renounced his Cuban citizenship (caveat – I don’t know if he gets citizenship by parental originlike we do in Canada)?

    b. as a Canadian, I’m hurt.

  10. KM says:

    Not cool, Canada, not cool. People have been unfriended for less.

  11. JWH says:

    This is too bad. I really wanted to see Cruz express his inner Canadian in the 2016 primaries. Can you imagine him strolling into a Republican debate?

    “I’m so sorry I’m late, but the hockey game went to overtime and I had some root beer with the boys. Eh?”

  12. J-Dub says:

    Being Canadian was the only thing I liked about him. Now I’m left with nothing.

  13. Pinky says:

    @JWH: It’d be “I’m so so’-rry…”. I’ll never forget Michael J. Fox on that show where he was supposed to be an assistant to the Mayor of New York, saying that word. Funniest thing that show ever aired.

  14. ralphb says:

    Damn, that’s a big win for Canada!

  15. OzarkHillbilly says:

    OK fine, he’s no longer Canadian. He is still an A#1 class A a$$hole who belongs to us. What do we have to do to get rid of him? Repeal the 2nd Amendment?

  16. george says:

    Not a bad start. We’re hoping that Celion Dion and Justin Bieber will be inspired to follow suite.

  17. JWH says:

    @george:

    Are you TRYING to start a war?

  18. Grewgills says:

    I want him to run just to see the mental gymnastics the tea partiers go through to explain how he is a natural born citizen.

  19. Dave B. says:

    @Maggie: Senator Cruz’s mother is a natural born citizen, the same as President Obama’s mother was.