On the same day he won the Republican Iowa caucus,
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas got a favorable decision from the Illinois Board
of Elections, which ruled that he met the citizenship criteria to
appear on the state's primary ballot.
Two objectors, Lawrence Joyce and William Graham, had challenged
Cruz's presidential bid with the board, contending that his name should
not appear on the March 15 ballot because his candidacy did not comply
with Article II of the Constitution.
Adopting the recommendations of a hearing officer who considered the
matter last week, the board of elections on Monday rejected both
objections, ruled Cruz eligible and ordered that his name be certified
for the election.
"The Candidate is a natural born citizen by virtue of being born in
Canada to his mother who was a U.S. citizen at the time of his birth,"
the board said, reasoning that Cruz met the criteria because he "did not
have to take any steps or go through a naturalization process at some
point after birth."
Both objections, which on their face seemed to carry little weight,
had forced lawyers for Cruz to formally respond and offer appropriate
counterarguments.
In response to the filings, Cruz's lawyers relied on Supreme Court
precedent, legal history and articles from noted constitutional scholars
to defend the view that he is in fact "natural born" within the meaning
of the Constitution. (Huffington Post)
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