Rand Paul Joins Kentucky Senate Race
share this story
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Rand Paul, the son of 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul, ended months of speculation Wednesday by saying he will run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated next year by fellow Republican Jim Bunning.
The Bowling Green ophthalmologist told The Associated Press he is entering the race and plans to run as a candidate with "outsider" credentials. His father is a GOP congressman from Texas.
Rand Paul had been considering a campaign even before the 77-year-old Bunning announced last week that he intends to retire when his second term ends.
Two other Republicans – Secretary of State Trey Grayson and western Kentucky businessman Bill Johnson – have already announced they're running for Bunning's seat. Two major Democrats, Attorney General Jack Conway and Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, are seeking their party's nomination.
"It's about time we have someone who is an outsider and not a career politician in Washington," Paul said in an AP interview. "Nothing ever seems to change, even when we think we vote for change."
Western Kentucky University political scientist Scott Lasley said Paul can legitimately present himself as "an outsider" candidate, which would be appealing to Kentucky voters.
"To establish himself as a potentially viable candidate, he has to show he has fundraising strength," Lasley said.
Paul spoke to the AP ahead of a national television appearance later Wednesday meant to give him wider exposure and help attract potential donors in Kentucky and out of state for an Internet fundraising drive.
Fundraising, or lack thereof, has already played a key role in the Senate race. Bunning, a sports icon enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, withdrew from his re-election campaign, citing an inability to raise enough money to run successfully. He had been widely considered one of the nation's most vulnerable GOP incumbents, a view that made donors unwilling to give.
Kentucky has trended Republican in recent years, with both of its Senate seats and four of six House seats in GOP hands.
Paul has been sharply critical of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, saying members of both parties have proven unwilling to do what's necessary to strengthen the country.
"I don't see things in terms of Republican verses Democrat," he said. "I see in terms of issues and whether they're good or bad, and I think that will strike a chord with people."
Paul will have to overcome the fundraising prowess of Grayson, a rising star in the Kentucky GOP, to win the nomination. Even without announcing his candidacy, Grayson reported raising more than $600,000 in the second quarter for an exploratory committee he formed to consider the race.
To be competitive in the primary election, Paul said he likely will need about $2 million.
Borrowing a strategy from his father's Republican presidential campaign, Paul said he plans to lean heavily on Web-based fundraising. His father banked $6 million in one day from an Internet fundraiser.
Paul's single-day fundraiser is scheduled for Aug. 20. He set a goal of $1 million.
"If we get this thing rip-roaring, there are still people who believe we can get there," he said. "I don't know yet. But, if we do, I think we completely transform this race."
Loading comments… 
ROGER ALFORD 08/ 5/09 05:19 PM ET Associated Press