After serving as Texas solicitor general, Cruz spent four years in a private law firm representing a Chinese firm charged with copying American tire technology, and a couple New Mexico personal injury cases where he advocated preserving high punitive damages. Then he ran for US senate, winning with a lot of help from Sarah Palin.
Like Obama, he didn’t waste much time there, two years later renouncing his Canadian citizenship, putting on his “Mr, Smith Goes To Washington” persona and, against the advice of many senior to him, then filed to run for president.
You didn’t mention that Cruz lost both of those cases!!!
Lincoln had a grand total of two years experience in office when he ran. Neither Grant nor Eisenhower ever held elective office before entering the White House.