Rand Paul, son of long-time Texas congressman Ron Paul, won a race of his own last night, capturing the Republican slot in a primary for Kentucky’s U.S. Senate seat. Here’s the background on Paul and his meteoric Senate campaign.
Fast Facts
— Born January 7, 1963. Married, with three sons
— One of five children of Republican Congressman Ron Paul.
— Resident of Bowling Green, Ky.
— Graduated from Baylor University before receiving an M.D. from Duke University in 1993
— Works as an ophthalmologist in private practice since 1993
— Founded Kentucky Taxpayers United in 1993, a watchdog group that tracks public spending
— Joined the U.S. Senate race as a Republican in 2009, after a campaign by online supporters to draft him for the race
— Defeated Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s Secretary of State, in primary elections held May 18
— Self-identifies as a member of the Tea Party movement, a group that strongly supported him in the Kentucky primary
— Will face Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway in the general election in November
Corrected, 2:36 p.m. The original version misstated Paul’s general election opponent as Daniel Mongiardo. He will be facing Jack Conway.