Paul, Rand (1963-…), became a United States senator in 2011. Paul, a Republican, represents Kentucky. Before his election to the Senate, Paul worked as an eye surgeon. His father, Ron Paul, was a long-time member of the U.S. House of Representatives who twice sought the Republican nomination for president.
Randall Howard Paul was born on Jan. 7, 1963, in Pittsburgh. His family moved to Lake Jackson, Texas, when he was young. Paul attended Baylor University from 1981 to 1984. He received an M.D. degree from Duke University School of Medicine in 1988. In 1993, Paul completed a residency in ophthalmology (the field of medicine dealing with eye diseases) at the Duke University Medical Center. He and his family then moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky. In 1995, Paul founded the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic. In 2007, he established a private ophthalmology practice.
In 2009 and 2010, Paul campaigned for the Republican nomination for a seat in the U.S. Senate. During the campaign, he called for lower taxes and cuts in many government programs. These positions won him support among the conservative activist groups that became known as the tea party movement (see Tea party movement). Paul won the nomination in May 2010. He won the general election that November and took office in January 2011.
As a senator, Paul became known for his libertarian views on many issues. Libertarians generally favor increasing individual liberties by limiting government activities. For example, he has spoken out strongly against government surveillance activities conducted without court warrants. In foreign affairs, Paul has taken noninterventionist stances in regard to U.S. military involvement in a number of conflicts overseas.
In 2015, Paul began a campaign for his party’s 2016 nomination for president. He dropped out of the race in February 2016, however, following a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses. Paul won reelection to the Senate in November 2016. He was reelected again in 2022.
Paul’s books include The Tea Party Goes to Washington (2011), Taking a Stand: Moving Beyond Partisan Politics to Unite America (2015), and The Case Against Socialism (2019). He is the coauthor, with his father, of Government Bullies: How Everyday Americans Are Being Harassed, Abused, and Imprisoned by the Feds (2012).
