Michael Cuevas
Schenectady County GOP chair
Sen. Ted Cruz
When did you become political? Were there any specific events in your life that caused you to become actively involved?
I was 18, and 18 year olds have the right to vote. That was reason enough for me to become involved and encourage all of my friends to do the same, so I become a voter registrar at 18, and went from there.
Do your political affiliations reflect those of your immediate friends and family or not? Do you discuss those things?
They certainly do. Most of my friends are also Republicans, so we’re pretty free to have an open discussion. I can’t say that all my friends share my views, but a good percentage of them do.
What are the issues in this election that are most important to you, and how will they immediately affect you and your loved ones?
First I’ve lived through September 11, so I’ve gotten to know and be vigilant to safeguard our country. We need a president who is aware of all threats domestic and foreign and can react in a responsible way. Ted Cruz is the only one on the Republican side that is able to articulate such a plan, but also be concerned about the Supreme Court. The next U.S. president has the opportunity to nominate at least one or several members of that court. Ted Cruz is the best candidate to entrust with that power.
Everyone is obviously affected by how we deal with the threats that face our country. We’re all equally affected. In respect to the Supreme Court appointment, we know there have bee a number of important issues before court and that have been deadlocked after Justice Scalia’s death — religious freedom, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, right to bear arms – these are issues affect us all and – how we live, work and do business.
How do you see your candidate’s platform as addressing those issues?
Cruz has addressed how he would deal with the threats against America that we face. He has stated if we were to be involved in international conflict, we would need to use overwhelming force, end the conflict quickly and get our troops home as quickly as possible. He will work to eradicate the forces that work against our country and that is s most important to us right now.
What was the most memorable part of the rally/rallies you attended?
I attended and helped organize his rally here. The most memorable part of the rallies was the fact that we knew what his positions were already, so hearing and seeing someone in person, you tend to notice how genuine their feelings are, and you get to see that they are a really kind and caring person. That’s what I saw. He spent a significant amount of time with all the people there, and that shows something.
