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Reports: Lawsuit Challenging Cruz’s Eligibility to be President Thrown Out

An Illinois lawsuit challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's eligibility to run for president has been thrown out, according to media reports.

By Katie Zezima, The Washington Post
Ted Cruz campaigns in San Antonio a day ahead of Super Tuesday, Feb 29, 2016.

A lawsuit challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's eligibility to run for president has been thrown out, according to media reports.

An Illinois voter filed a lawsuit challenging the ability of Cruz, who was born in Canada, to run for president. Judge Maureen Ward Kirby of the Cook County Circuit Court threw out the challenge on Tuesday, according to USA Today.

The court did not return a call asking for comment.

The suit claimed that Cruz did not meet the threshold of being a "natural born citizen," as required by the Constitution to serve as president.

Cruz has long said that he is a natural-born citizen by virtue of his mother, who was born in Delaware and is a U.S. citizen. Cruz's father was born in Cuba. Legal scholars have said that Cruz is eligible to run, but the issue is little tested in the courts.

The matter gained traction in January, when Donald Trump questioned whether Cruz is eligible to run for president, stating that the issue of his birthplace could be "precarious" for the Republican Party if he became its nominee.

The Indiana board of elections ruled last month that Cruz is eligible to be on the state's ballot after legal challenges over whether he is a natural-born citizen.

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Politics 2016 elections Ted Cruz