Ted Cruz speaks to the media in Chattanooga.

Republican Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz says Tennessee will play a "critical role" in the 2016 race.

Cruz told a standing-room-only crowd at Grace Works Church off Lee Highway today that Tennessee will be an early battleground after primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. So-called Super Tuesday is a mere 10 days after South Carolina's primary.

"Tennessee is going to play a critical role in the Republican presidential primary," Cruz told a legion of supporters.

Cruz stopped in Chattanooga for a breakfast rally on his way through the state. Polling numbers show Cruz's support spiked after Thursday's debates.

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