Ted Cruz (File)

AUSTIN, Texas (August 8, 2012)--Texas U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz will be among the headliners who address the Republican National Convention in Tampa later this month.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Wednesday that the former state solicitor general will address the convention along with four other conservative notables, including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

The convention runs from Aug. 27 to Aug. 30.

Cruz is a tea party favorite who upset Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for the Republican nomination to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Dewhurst was backed by Gov. Rick Perry and much of the Texas GOP establishment but lost a July 31 runoff election to Cruz by 13 percentage points.

Cruz advances to the November election against Democratic former state Rep. Paul Sadler.

Texas hasn't elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.