Ted Cruz Releases Book Detailing Clarence Thomas's Judicial Influence

Senator Ted Cruz released a book titled "Going Further," which examines the judicial career and influence of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The text argues that Thomas, working alongside former Justice Antonin Scalia and former Chief Justice William Rehnquist, led an intellectual revolution that shifted American legal practice away from legislative intent and toward originalism and textualism.

This shift moved Thomas's views from the margins of dissenting opinions to the court's majority, contributing to conservative rulings on abortion, gun rights, religious liberty, and affirmative action. Justice Elena Kagan noted the breadth of this influence during a 2015 lecture, stating, "We're all textualists now."

As the court's senior-most member, Thomas is expected to influence key cases in the upcoming term, including St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy regarding religious school preschool vouchers and Viramontes v. Cook County concerning Second Amendment guarantees for sporting rifles. If he remains on the bench until May 20, 2028, Thomas will become the longest-serving justice in the history of the United States Supreme Court.