|party=[[Republican]]
|spouse=Kelley Ashby Paul
|religion=Presbyterian(see also: [[Rand Paul's religious views]])
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
}}
'''Dr. Rand Paul''' (born January 7, 1963) is a candidate for the [[Republican]] nomination for president in 2016, and currently serves as a [[conservative]] junior [[United States Senator]] from [[Kentucky]]. Rand is [[pro-life]] and spoke at the [[March for Life]] rally in 2013. He is also critical of federal spending and is emerging as a [[movement conservative]]. Unlike many politicians of both major political parties, Rand Paul supports sharply reducing the size of government. He has criticized pro-war politicians. He and won the [[CPAC]] [[straw poll]] in 2013and 2014.
In 2010, he won the Republican primary after defeating moderate candidate [[Trey Grayson]] by a landslide. Despite intense opposition by [[liberals]] and the [[lamestream media]], Rand Paul then won by an overwhelming margin first against a [[RINO]] Republican favored by the establishment, and then against [[Democrat]] [[Jack Conway]] in the [[2010 Midterm Election]]. This was the seat formerly held by [[Jim Bunning]], one of the [[Essay:Greatest Conservative Sports Stars|greatest conservative sports stars]], who endorsed Paul in the Republican primary.
Rand Paul's father is [[Ron Paul]]. Rand Paul was '''''not''''' named after the objectivist and libertarian author [[Ayn Rand]].<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD-R_OeP6tU</ref> named after the objectivist and libertarian author [[Ayn Rand]].
On March 2013, Rand led a [[filibuster]] of Obama's CIA nomination [[John Brennan]] due to the fact that the administration was unwilling to forbid ordering [[drone]] targeting of Americans on American territories, in violation of the 5th Amendment. A month of letter writings without a reply and March 6th testimony from Attorney General [[Eric Holder]] prompted the filibuster. A number of GOP Senators joined him including [[Ted Cruz]], [[Marco Rubio]], [[Mike Lee]], among others and one Democrat Senator, [[Ron Wyden]]. A vote on a non-binding statement clarifying that Obama shall not kill Americans with drone warfare was denied by Democrats in the Senate.
[[Julian Assange]] is a admirer of Rand Paul.<ref>http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/19/julian-assange-loves-rand-paul-and-his-very-principled-positions.html</ref>
On April 7, 2015, Paul announced that he would seek the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>Rand Paul launches 2016 White House bid: ‘We have come to take our country back’ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/04/07/rand-paul-set-to-announce-presidential-run/</ref><ref>http://www.c-span.org/video/?325139-1/senator-rand-paul-rky-presidential-campaign-announcement</ref>
== Political Positions ==
Rand Paul is pro-life. He opposes foreign interventionalism and perpetual war. He Paul is against American intervention in the [[Syrian Civil War]]<ref>http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/item/14691-sen-rand-paul-is-obama-administration-hiding-arms-trade-to-jihadists</ref> and was opposed to the [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] or the [[Patriot Act]]. He opposes [[gun control]]<ref>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/01/14/rand_paul_on_gun_control_executive_order_obama_is_not_king.html</ref> and same-sex marriage.<ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Rand_Paul.htm</ref>Paul supports the Pathway to introduce [[illegal aliens]] to citizenship.<ref>http://nation.foxnews.com/rand-paul/2013/03/19/rand-paul-endorses-pathway-citizenship</ref> He opposes prison sentences for minor drug offenders.<ref>http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/03/24/1767241/rand-paul-is-right-on-marijuana-and-that-should-scare-democrats-into-action/</ref> Paul sued the Obama administration because it spied Americans by the [[NSA]].<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/04/sen-rand-paul-to-sue-over-nsa-spying-practices/</ref> Paul is an opponent of the [[United States embargo against Cuba]].<ref>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/the-cuban-embargo-isnt-just-about-the-embargo/</ref> ==See also==*[[Rand Paul's religious views]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External Links==
* [http://www.paul.senate.gov/ Senate website]
* [http://www.facebook.com/RandPaul2010 Facebook page]
* [http://twitter.com/DrRandPaul Twitter page]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/RandPaul YouTube channel]
* [https://www.randpaul.com Rand Paul 2016 campaign website]
{{conservatism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Paul, Rand}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Tea Party Movement]]
[[Category:2010 Midterm Elections]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: Paul, Rand}}
[[Category:Kentucky]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
==External Links==* [http[Category://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/senators/one_item_and_teasers/Paul_Rand.htm Senate website114th United States Congress]]* [http[Category://www.facebook.com/RandPaul2010 Facebook pageRepublicans]]* [http[category://twitter.com/DrRandPaul Twitter pageLibertarians]]* [http[Category://twitter.com/randpaulrules Twitter fan pagePro Second Amendment]]* [http[Category://www.youtube.com/user/RandPaul YouTube channelConservative Authors]]* [http[Category://www.myspace.com/ronpaul_2008president_ MySpace pageLibertarian Authors]]{{conservatism}}[[category: 2016 Presidential Candidates]]