Republican Senator Ted Cruz on Monday officially declared his presidential campaign to a large crowd comprising of students and teachers at a Christian university in Lynchburg.

Addressing the vast audience at the Liberty University, the Texas Senator called himself a “courageous conservative” who is ready to lead the country remarkably in the right direction by getting rid of the health care law, national education standards and the Internal Revenue Service.

“I am honored to stand with each and every one of you courageous conservatives as we come together to reclaim the promise of America. This is our fight. The answer will not come from Washington,” Cruz said during his speech.

He is the first Republican candidate to officially announce his presidential campaign for 2016.

The Texas Republican had already revealed his presidential ambitions online early Monday at micro-blogging site Twitter at 12:09 am.

“I’m running for President and I hope to earn your support!,” he said in his tweet.

The official announcement is being seen as an early move by any Republican, starting a primary-election debate over how far the party must go in order to claim victory in the race to the White House.

On Monday, Cruz has not only announced his presidential bid but has also unveiled a new website with the slogan “Courageous Conservatives: Reigniting the Promise of America” in order to launch his campaign in a power pact manner.