Cruz taps his former Iowa director for re-election campaign

Bryan English, the Iowa Republican operative who guided U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz to victory in the first-in-nation caucuses last year, has joined the Texas senator's re-election campaign.

English recently moved to Houston and is serving as a senior adviser to Cruz's 2018 effort, according to Cruz officials. English is the first major addition to Cruz's re-election campaign, which for months has formally and informally involved a number of longtime aides.

English was Cruz's Iowa state director during his 2016 presidential campaign. After the campaign, English went to work for a pro-Cruz outside political group — a group that is now readjusting its focus following Donald Trump's upset victory in the White House race.

The field is still taking shape for the 2018 race. Two Democrats are weighing challenges to Cruz: U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, who has said he will announce his decision by the end of April, and Beto O'Rourke of El Paso, who is expected to announce his candidacy soon..

Things have been quieter on the Republican side. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul of Austin was encouraged to take on Cruz after Cruz initially declined to endorse Trump last year, but speculation about a McCaul challenge has since died down.