Ted Cruz Breaks From Republican Rivals On Drafting Women

It’s one of the more unusual applause lines of the campaign, but Sen. Ted Cruz got a big ovation Tuesday night when he promised supporters that he would try to stop American women from having to register for the draft.

Although not a major voting issue for South Carolina Republicans, the draft has become a symbolic dividing line between conservatives and establishment candidates in the presidential race, and voters are taking note and picking sides.

Mr. Cruz, the most vocal advocate for keeping the draft closed, is forcefully going after anti-draft voters in a state where veterans and their families make up a large percentage of the population — and particularly the Republican primary electorate.

“I tell you this as a father of two young daughters. We will not be drafting women and forcing them into combat roles,” said the senator from Texas, drawing a surprisingly strong ovation at a rally in Anderson.

Part of the reason Mr. Cruz is highlighting the issue is it is yet another area where he breaks with the rest of the field. In a debate this month in New Hampshire, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who was still in the race at the time — all signaled a willingness to open the draft to women.

More