Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) announced his presidential candidacy just after midnight on Monday. Hours earlier he spoke with Breitbart News Sunday on SiriusXM Patriot 125. (AP)

LYNCHBURG, Va. Hours ahead of an expected Monday morning announcement at Liberty University, Ted Cruz told supporters just after midnight that he was launching a White House bid.

I'm running for president, and I hope to earn your support! he tweeted.

Cruz becomes the first major presidential contender to formally declare himself a 2016 candidate, a move likely to upend the dynamics of the nascent presidential race.

Cruz, the combative conservative who has made liberty the clarion call of his politics, is scheduled to speak about his presidential bid Monday morning at Liberty University here, according to a campaign adviser.

By skipping the step of forming an exploratory committee and jumping right into the race, the Texas Republican is providing a jolt to a field that has so far been relatively sleepy and potentially pressuring other candidates to step closer to making their own announcements. His entry also gives other Republican contenders including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida governor Jeb Bush a competitive rival on the right.

Cruz, 44, a Harvard-and-Princeton-educated lawyer who was elected to the Senate in 2012, is best known for championing controversial efforts to block implementation of President Obamas health-care law in 2013. The crusade led to a 16-day government shutdown.

Cruzs unrepentant battles against the Obama administration and with leaders of his own party have made him a hero to many conservatives and left him with a powerful national network of small-dollar donors. He will aim to raise $40million to $50million for his presidential bid.

Advisers said that in coming weeks, as he launches his campaign in states with early caucuses and primaries, Cruz plans to build upon that base of support and cast himself as an uncompromising GOP conservative who has challenged both parties during his short time in Washington.

The Houston Chronicle first reported his planned announcement.

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Its official: Cruz announces 2016 candidacy