Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz, took a break from his Iowa campaign to speak to his supporters at the Baton Rouge Marriott Monday afternoon.
“What we’re seeing here in Louisiana is what we’re seeing all across the country,” Cruz said. “We’re seeing conservatives coming together and united.” 
Cruz noted Louisiana’s importance in helping him win the primary election, saying that he needs the state’s historically conservative voice to help him ultimately win the presidency as a republican.
“The role of Louisiana and the super Tuesday states is to ensure that the next Republican nominee and next president of the United States is a real and proven conservative,” Cruz told the crowd.
Cruz’s evangelical conservatism dominated the rally as he related bible verses to America’s most pressing issues. Cruz even had a local pastor deliver a prayer as the event began.
“God, may you use us, and more importantly, may you use Senator Cruz as a part of that process,” the pastor prayed. “May you bring an awakening to our people, amen.”
Cruz appealed heavily to over 600 Louisiana conservatives as he addressed some of the most important issues to Republicans such as health care reform and common core education.
“We’ll pass common sense health care reform that makes health insurance personal and portable and keeps government from getting between us and our doctors,” Cruz said. 
Louisiana residents such as J.D. Perry of Baton Rouge say that even though Trump leads in the polls, Cruz’s strong rhetoric will help him prevail.
“The problem with Donald Trump is that he really is very surface level in all of his commentary,” Perry said. “As we go forward and people want to hear more substance, I think that’s when we’ll see Cruz rise to the top.”
Cruz’s rally seemed well-received, as the entire crowd gave him a standing ovation as he exited the stage.