Rand Paul | |
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United States Senator from Kentucky |
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Assumed office January 3, 2011 Serving with Mitch McConnell |
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Preceded by | Jim Bunning |
Personal details | |
Born |
Randal Howard Paul January 7, 1963 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Kelley Ashby (m. 1990) |
Children | 3 |
Parents |
Ron Paul Carol Wells |
Education |
Baylor University Duke University (MD) |
Profession | Ophthalmologist |
Signature | |
Website | Senate website |
Randal Howard "Rand" Paul (born January 7, 1963) is an American politician and physician serving as the junior United States Senator from Kentucky since 2011, alongside Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He is the son of former U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Paul attended Baylor University and is a graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine. Paul began practicing ophthalmology in 1993 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and established his own clinic in December 2007. In 2010, Paul entered politics by running for a seat in the United States Senate. A Republican, Paul has described himself as a Constitutional conservative and a supporter of the Tea Party movement. He has advocated for a balanced budget amendment, term limits, and privacy reform.
On April 7, 2015, Paul announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination at the 2016 US presidential election. He suspended his campaign in February 2016, after finishing in fifth place out of 12 Republican candidates at the Iowa caucuses.