Pa. judge hears challenge to Cruz’s citizenship

A Pennsylvania judge says he’ll decide soon on a court challenge that contends Texas Sen. Ted Cruz isn’t a U.S. citizen who is eligible to run for president and shouldn’t appear on the state’s primary ballot.

Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini heard arguments Thursday.

Cruz is among six Republican candidates who filed paperwork in Pennsylvania to run for president. The Pennsylvania primary is April 26.

The challenger is Carmon Elliott of Pittsburgh.

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

Cruz’s lawyer Robert Feltoon argues that Cruz is a natural born citizen, even if he was born in Canada, because his mother is a U.S. citizen.

Feltoon also argues that the constitution delegates the question of whether a candidate for president is eligible to take office to the Electoral College and Congress, not the court.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal