ROCKWALL — A Greenville woman went to Wednesday's Fourth of July parade expecting to see plenty of flags and floats. What she wasn't expecting to see at the event was Sen. Ted Cruz.
The Republican lawmaker waved to a cheering crowd as he rode on his float — the red convertible Chevelle, dubbed the "Texas Cruzer" — through downtown Rockwall.
"It was a wonderful surprise," said Barbara Terrill, a lifelong Republican who jumped up to greet the car and was given her own Cruz campaign sign.
Cruz was joined in the parade by congressman John Ratcliffe; state Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood; state Rep. Justin Holland, R-Rockwall; and members of the Rockwall City Council.
"It is wonderful being with the good people of Rockwall," Cruz said. "I'll tell you, Texans across our state, there's a commonality that ties us together, [and it's] a love of freedom, an understanding that if you get the government off our backs, then Texans can accomplish everything. And that spirit was reflected powerfully along the parade route."
Cruz is fresh from campaign stops in Waco and College Station, where he was kicking off a 12-city tour ahead of the November general election.
After the Rockwall visit, Cruz and his team were headed east to spend the rest of the holiday in Sulphur Springs.
Not everyone was excited to see the "Texas Cruzer" pass by on the parade route.
Sol Villasana, 65, of Rockwall brought a few friends to see the Independence Day floats. All three wore shirts supporting Cruz's opponent, Democrat Beto O'Rourke, a congressman from El Paso.
"America is made up of more than just one type of people," Villasana said. "We came out here to show that we have different ideas, that we're concerned about the future of America and the principles that our country was founded on. This idea that Republicans have some monopoly on patriotism is just hogwash."
