Ted Cruz Holds Campaign Rally At Tulsa's ORU Mabee Center

A Republican presidential candidate made a campaign stop in Tulsa Wednesday, rallying voters at ORU's Mabee Center.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s visit comes as the latest polls put him just four points behind Republican front-runner, Donald Trump.

Cruz was fired up Wednesday morning after Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine introduced him.

Cruz wore a button up shirt, jeans and cowboy boots and made Chuck Norris jokes as he greeted the crowd - you could tell he’s feeling the momentum as he gains in the polls.

As the Texas senator rises in the polls, his campaign stops are ramping up, and Wednesday morning, he revved up a crowd of supporters in Tulsa at ORU's Mabee center.

"God bless the great state of Oklahoma," he said to the crowd.

The latest Quinnipiac poll puts the anti-establishment Republican just points behind Trump - and the shift in support was reflected in the crowd.

"I believe that Ted Cruz and Donald Trump run basically on the same platform, and I know that we need a strong change," said supporter Lavon Vannamee.

Lavon and Brent Vannamee have voted for candidates on both sides of the aisle but said this election they want someone different than the average Washington politician.

"He's not going with the norm up there because the norm is crooks," Lavon said.

Cruz received standing ovations as he talked about big government and abolishing the IRS and The Department of Education.

Cruz spoke with media just before his rally; one topic included the threat of ISIS and taking a hard stance on terrorism.

"We need a clarity and a focus so that every militant on the planet knows that if you go and take up arms, if you join ISIS and wage Jihad against the USA, if you attempt to murder innocent Americans, you are signing your death warrant," Cruz said.

And his message is resonating with voters who say they're fed up with Republicans and Democrats, alike. That's why many say they're opting for what some consider "outsider" candidates, like Cruz.

Brent Vannamee said, "I don't care what they say, if somebody tells you, they can tell you anything, but if they don't do it, what difference does it make?"

They're hoping to find a difference in Cruz who, they say, they'll be watching closely until the Oklahoma Primary in March.

Amid all of the campaign talk and political rhetoric, the senator also got a little more personal Wednesday, defending his daughters.

This comes after the Washington Post published a cartoon depicting Cruz's 5- and 7-year-old daughters as dancing monkeys with the caption, "Ted Cruz uses his kids as political props."

"Folks want to attack me, that's part of the process, knock yourself out, I signed up for that, that's fine. But my girls didn't sign up for that," he said. "Don't mess with our kids, don't mess with my kids, don't mess with Marco's kids, don't mess with Hillary's kids, don't mess with anybody's kids."

The Post has since retracted the cartoon stating, "It's generally been the policy of our editorial section to leave children out of it."

Fellow Republican candidate, Marco Rubio, also came out condemning the cartoon, voicing his support to Cruz on Twitter.