Paul, Rand, 1963-

Randal Howard Paul (born January 7, 1963) is an American physician and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Kentucky since 2011. He is the son of former three-time presidential candidate and twelve-term U.S. representative of Texas Ron Paul.

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. In 2003 he withdrew from the American Board of Ophthalmology and declared himself self-certified by his National Board of Ophthalmology. He continued working 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. Paul won the 2010 election and won reelection in 2016.

Paul was a candidate for the Republican nomination at the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He suspended his campaign in February 2016 after finishing in fifth place during the Iowa caucuses. While he initially opposed candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican primaries, he supported Trump following his nomination and became one of his top supporters in the Senate during and after his presidency.