This year, many of the Republican Party’s most prominent figures are notably absent from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an event traditionally seen as a crucial platform for rallying the party’s activist base.

However, Senator Ted Cruz, a seasoned Republican with presidential aspirations, is capitalizing on this opportunity by taking center stage in the absence of some of his most formidable peers.

Former President Donald Trump had no plans to attend CPAC, opting instead to head to Mar-a-Lago for the weekend following his appearance at the Future Investment Initiative summit in Miami, which is backed by Saudi interests.

Meanwhile, potential front-runners for the Republican nomination, Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, find themselves preoccupied with the escalating situation in Iran. This comes as President Trump extended a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials have expressed a preference for negotiating with Vance, following the collapse of two prior discussions. Earlier in the week, Vance was in Texas for high-profile fundraising events for the Republican National Committee but has since returned to Washington, D.C.

This year’s CPAC is being held far from its usual Washington, D.C., venue, taking place in Grapevine, Texas, near Dallas. While many Republican House members were aware of the gathering, only a small number made the journey due to ongoing legislative efforts in the capital to secure funding for Homeland Security and ensure TSA agents receive their salaries.

Among those who were going was Cruz, who got a prime Saturday speaking slot.

He has been a favorite among CPAC attendees in the past, and has been adept at cultivating activist enthusiasm. He beat Trump and Rubio in the 2016 Iowa Caucuses. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott also spoke.

The group’s annual “straw poll” gives an indication of which candidate is exciting the base, and will be announced Saturday.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is locked in a nasty Senate primary runoff fight against Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), was honored at the group’s Ronald Reagan dinner Friday night. He was spotted at Mar-a-Lago the week before.

Cornyn, perhaps reading the room, didn’t go. “I have a day job here in the Senate,” he explained beforehand. Trump did not endorse either man in the runoff before a deadline for candidates to get off the ballot.

No members of the Trump family were scheduled to attend, although they have been stars of CPAC in the past.