LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz went pheasant-hunting on a western Iowa trip that fueled speculation that he might run for president in 2016. The Des Moines Register reports that the Texas senator hunted on Saturday with Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King. The two then headed to the Le Mars Convention Center, where Cruz spoke to a sold-out fundraising luncheon for the Iowa congressman.

Cruz, a Harvard-educated lawyer, received cheers and a standing ovation after his remarks to about 275 people. Cruz compared the mood of the country to the malaise experienced by Americans during the administration of Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, in the 1970s.

Cruz pledged to fight for traditional GOP principles of lower taxes, less spending and less government regulation.