Houston energy lawyer to challenge Cruz in 2018 Texas Republican primary

Photo: Photo Courtesy Of Stefano De Stefano Stefano de Stefano is a primary challenger to Ted Cruz. He's a...

With no heavy hitters in the Texas Republican hierarchy emerging to challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz for the party's nomination in 2018, a Houston energy attorney is stepping forward.

Stefano de Stefano, who bills himself as a jilted voter and "free market Republican," represents a challenge from the center of the Republican firmament, a demographic that has felt increasingly left out of the state's GOP.

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Sen. Ted Cruz's new book 'A Time for Truth' offers some new insight into the mind of the GOP presidential candidate. It also has angered some of the Texas senator's rivals. Photo: HONS Photo: HONS Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Houston energy lawyer to challenge Cruz in 2018 Texas Republican primary 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

"I have every citizen's chance in a democracy, although it doesn't hurt than I'm running against one of the most ineffective legislators in the Senate," de Stefano said in a statement. "There are millions of jilted voters like me across Texas. I believe, like many of my friends and colleagues, that we'd be better off with a Senator with the experience of negotiating million dollar deals in Texas' energy industry over someone like Cruz."

De Stefano, who supported Cruz in his 2012 Senate run, is now taking aim at the former presidential candidate as a national show horse rather than a Texas work horse. He says he will offer a "reasonable method of leadership" over an "extreme one."

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A Cruz spokeswoman declined to comment on de Stefano's run Wednesday.

De Stefano cites Cruz's role in the 2013 government shutdown over funding for the Affordable Care Act and what he calls a history of promoting his personal brand over Texas interests.

As a first-time candidate, de Stefano plans to run on his own business record brokering deals in the world of oil and gas as a corporate counsel for Diamond Offshore, a deepwater drilling contractor.

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Among others who have been mentioned as potential Cruz primary challengers are Texas U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul and political analyst Matthew Dowd, a former strategist for George W. Bush.

Both have bowed out.

De Stefano's surprise announcement rolls out officially on Thursday via his campaign's Facebook page. He aims to scramble the calculus of what is otherwise shaping up as a general election faceoff between Cruz and Democratic hopeful Beto O'Rourke, a congressman from El Paso.

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The 36-year-old de Stefano, married with a 4-year-old son and two rescue dogs, said he's putting his legal career on hold to make his first foray into politics.