Senator Ted Cruz officially gives up Canadian citizenship

[June 11, 2014]  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has given up his Canadian citizenship, roughly nine months after learning he was a dual citizen, his office said on Tuesday.

Cruz, a Republican who is believed to be considering a bid for the White House in 2016, received a "certificate of renunciation of Canadian citizenship" at his Houston home on Tuesday, said his spokeswoman, Catherine Frazier.

The Dallas Morning News first reported the citizenship issue last August and said the news came as a surprise to Cruz, who was born in Canada.

The revelation created a potential embarrassment for Cruz and raised questions about whether he was eligible to run for president.

"Nothing against Canada, but I’m an American by birth and as a U.S. senator, I believe I should be only an American,” Cruz said at the time, according to the newspaper.

(Reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Jim Loney)

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