Sen. Ted Cruz, tea party favourite and possible presidential contender, has a book deal

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican often mentioned as a possible presidential candidate, is working on a project considered standard for national contenders: a book.

Cruz’s literary agent, Keith Urbahn, said Wednesday that the tea party favourite had agreed to terms with HarperCollins. Urbahn declined to discuss the contents of the book, currently untitled and with no scheduled release date, or to confirm a report in the Washington Examiner that the deal was worth $1.5 million. But he says the number is “close.”

A publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations said that Cruz is writing a combination of memoir and policy book. The official was not authorized to discuss the book and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Cruz, 43, is expected to officially sign with HarperCollins over the next few weeks.

Elected in 2012, he quickly established himself as one of the most polarizing and talked-about senators, and several publishers bid for his book. Other rumoured candidates for 2016 already have books scheduled for this year, including former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rep. Paul Ryan.

According to a statement issued by Urbahn, Cruz “appreciates the interest shown by publishers and looks forward to working on the book once an agreement is finalized.”