In my lifetime, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, and George HW Bush were vice presidents elevated to the presidency.
Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale, and Al Gore have been their party’s nominees, even though they lost.
That means that vice presidents have been more than relevant in ensuing elections. I’m one who has long believed that Dick Cheney would have been a far more formidable opponent for Barack Obama than was John McCain.
Two gained office through the death or resignation of their predecessor, and I assume you would not hope for Cruz to become president under those circumstances. One lost when he ran as sitting veep, and neither party would be likely to nominate for a second time a candidate who already lost one presidential election. Not in this day and age. So only one sitting veep won. In fact before Bush you have to go back to Martin Van Buren to find a sitting vice-president who became president. Not good odds.
Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale, and Al Gore have been their party’s nominees, even though they lost.
The key there being that they lost. And Mondale was not the sitting veep when he ran.
That means that vice presidents have been more than relevant in ensuing elections.
Not as winners. And I do believe Cruz would like to win.