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ByJuliePace The Associated Press WASHINGTON Donald Trump will be standing at center stage, but Ted Cruz will be in the spotlight at Tuesday night's Republican presidential debate. The Texas senator is challenging Trump's lead in the kickoff Iowa caucuses, and he has the money, campaign infrastructure and conservative appeal to compete deep into the GOP primary season. Those as- sets now make him a tar- get for his rivals, most nota- bly Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Trump and Cruz have been getting along for months, and that has pro- tected the senator from the harsh criticism the busi- nessman has flung against other opponents. But signs of a split have emerged in recent days, with Cruz appearing to question Trump's judgment at a pri- vate fundraiser, accord- ing to audio obtained by The New York Times, and Trump calling Cruz "a lit- tle bit of a maniac." "Looks like @tedcruz is getting ready to attack," Trump wrote on Twitter last week. "I am leading by so much he must. I hope so, he will fall like all others. Will be easy!" Another intriguing dy- namic in Tuesday's prime- time debate in Las Vegas in- volves Cruz and Rubio. Both are first-term senators and Cuban Americans who see themselves as alternatives to Trump, who has baffled Republican leaders with his political durability. Cruz and Rubio have been sparring from afar for weeks, particularly over national security, which is now a top campaign issue following the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California. Rubio has tried to brand Cruz as an isola- tionist and has criticized his support for ending the bulk collection of Ameri- cans' phone records, say- ing it weakens the govern- ment's ability to identify po- tential terrorists. More broadly, Rubio's campaign is eager to cast Cruz, who prides himself on being a conservative "truth- teller," as a politically ex- pedient flip-flopper who is willing to say whatever is necessary to win an elec- tion. Rubio's campaign has raised questions about the consistency of Cruz's posi- tions on sending troops to the Middle East, as well as his ambiguousness on whether he would allow im- migrants living in the U.S. illegally to stay in the coun- try. Cruz's campaign has dis- missed Rubio's criticism, with spokesman Rick Tyler saying, "Nobody believes Senator Cruz is weak on na- tional defense and security." Tuesday's debate will be the first for Republicans in more than a month, and also the first since the at- tacks in Paris and Califor- nia. The four previous GOP debates had record viewer- ship, giving the candidates an unparalleled platform to reach voters. With just six weeks un- til voting begins, the broad contours of the race remain consistent. Trump still sits atop the GOP field, display- ing a talent for connecting with voters frustrated with Washington and on edge about the threat of terror- ism. He continues to make controversial comments that might disqualify more traditional candidates, in- cluding his recent call for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. More experienced poli- ticians are still struggling to break through in the crowded field. Some party leaders fear that unless the party's establishment wing quickly rallies around one candidate, the nomination could go to Trump or Cruz — candidates they see as all but unelectable in a contest with Democratic front-run- ner Hillary Clinton. Still, there have been some signs of movement in early voting states since Re- publicans last took the de- bate stage. Cruz's rise in Iowa has been accompanied by a precipitous decline for Ben Carson, the retired neu- rosurgeon who has strug- gled with inexperience on national security mat- ters. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is enjoying increas- ing support in New Hamp- shire, which helped him re- gain his spot on the main debate stage after being downgraded in November. "I've been making exec- utive decisions for 13 years and been held accountable for them," Christie said in an interview with The As- sociated Press. "There's no other way to get ready for the presidency than that; you have to have executive experience to be success- ful." Also on the main stage Tuesday night will be Flor- ida Gov. Jeb Bush, former business executive Carly Fiorina, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. Four lower-poll- ing candidates will appear at an earlier event: former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huck- abee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former New York Gov. George Pat- aki and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. 2016 CAMPAIGN Trump at center stage, Cruz in spotlight at GOP debate JIMCOLE—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump smiles as he arrives at a campaign stop at the White Mountain Athletic Club in Waterville Valley, N.H. 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