Cruz says GOP race may be decided by March

NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, warned supporters to prepare for battle, saying he believes the Republican race could be decided as early as March.

"We're winning right now, and as a result, I want to tell everyone to get ready," Cruz said in a call to supporters Thursday. "Strap on the full armor of God. Get ready for the attacks that are coming. We've already seen hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars in attacks directed at us. Well I want to tell you that come the month of January, we ain't seen nothing yet."

The Cruz campaign announced this week that it has raised around $20 million in the last three months of the year. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson raised $23 million during the same period, according to Carson's campaign. The full reports won't be available to the Federal Election Commission until February.

Just a month away from the Iowa caucuses, Cruz leads with 30 percent according to the Real Clear Politics 30-day average of all polls,, despite continuing to trail Donald Trump nationally.

"I want to encourage everyone to get ready, because starting tomorrow morning, we are in a 90-day sprint to win this nomination, and then to turn around and win the general election," Cruz told his supporters, "to defeat Hillary Clinton in November of 2016 and to turn this country around."