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Cruz Thanks Supporters, As He Is Praised At Texas GOP Convention

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DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - Thousands of Texas Republicans sent a message to Senator Ted Cruz loud and clear. And he had a message for them as he addressed attendees at the state GOP convention, being held in Dallas.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart," he said.

Cruz sought to address what so many want to know. "I don't know what the future holds, but I want to encourage you to have hope." Now that he's dropped out of the presidential race, the theme here at the convention is appreciation.

Nearly 1,100 supporters at the convention wrote thank you cards and hung them at Cruz' campaign booth. Dottie Layman is one of his supporters. She said, "We love him and we know that he's a good man but we think God has a bigger plan for him."

Cruz signs 1
(credit: Jack Fink/CBS 11 News)

Richard Risinger said he thanked the Senator for fighting for the Constitution. When asked if he will now support the presumptive nominee Donald Trump, Risinger paused and chuckled, "Good question. Not yet."

While Cruz made no mention of Trump, one of the real estate mogul's representatives, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama tried to reassure conservatives here about the billionaire's positions.

Sessions said Trump wants to end illegal immigration. "He's going to build a wall to ensure that."
After the crowd applauded, Sessions asked, "Isn't that conservative?"

As for Cruz, he's running for re-election in 2018 and says he'll keep fighting for the same conservative principles he fought for during his run for the White House: jobs, freedom, and security.

Follow Jack on Twitter: @cbs11jack

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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