OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul easily won re-election on Tuesday night in Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race.
Paul, who was first elected in the tea party-driven wave of 2010, extended a long GOP winning streak in Kentucky Senate races by defeating progressive Democrat Charles Booker. Kentucky hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since Wendell Ford in 1992.
The race generated big money as Democrats wanted to oust Paul from office.
“According to OpenSecrets, Paul has raised $26.4 million, spent $20.4 million, and has $6.2 million cash on hand, as of October 19. His challenger, Booker, has raised $6.1 million, spent $5.8 million, and has $288,825 cash on hand, as of October 19. As of late October, over a dozen super PACs, national party committees, politically active nonprofits, and other non-candidate groups had combined to spend about $1.3 million to advocate for or against candidates in this race, including during the race’s primary phase. Paul has benefitted from most of that money,” MSN reported.
BREAKING: Republican Rand Paul wins reelection to U.S. Senate from Kentucky. #APracecall at 7:14 p.m. EST. https://t.co/2nlgpjzI1K
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 9, 2022
Senator Rand Paul has been projected to win re-election in Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/w5qtDRVqyL
— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) November 9, 2022
Just prior to the election, Paul received the bipartisan endorsement of six Sheriffs and retired Sheriffs in Kentucky.
Sheriff Cain says in the ad, “I spent decades keeping our community safe as Daviess County Sheriff. I’m a lifelong Democrat and I’m voting for Senator Rand Paul. As the radical defund the police movement threatens our community leaving you unprotected and giving our streets over to dangerous criminals, Rand Paul is standing with law enforcement. He has ensured that they have the tools and training to keep you safe. I’m proud to have Rand Paul as my senator.”
When Paul filed for re-election, he vowed to “put Kentucky first, stand up for Kentuckians’ liberty, economic freedom, safer communities, and a fairer justice system.”
“I pledge to uphold the Constitution, to protect Kentucky from overzealous bureaucrats, and defend our God-given rights. I’m proud to be a voice of reason in the Senate when it comes to our foreign affairs. For far too long leaders have tried to send our sons and daughters to fight never-ending wars. That’s why I’ve worked with Republicans and Democrats alike to ensure that our military is strong but is only used for defending our country, not nation-building abroad,” Paul said at the time.
“It’s a true honor to serve my fellow Kentuckians in the U.S. Senate,” Paul added. “Over the next 11 months, I look forward to again asking for their trust and their vote to return to Washington to continue fighting for balanced budgets and limited, Constitutional government.”
During an interview during a recent Kentucky campaign stop, Paul said: “The easy way out is to vote yes. It’s a little more of a challenge to explain why we’re spending too much money. I’ve never really seen things in terms of party. I see things in terms of right and wrong.”
“If you ask people in Washington, their heads explode because they could never conceive of ever reducing spending,” Paul said in a Senate speech this year touting his latest balanced-budget plan.
Voters made it clear they planned to stick with Paul.
“He don’t back down from nobody,” said Joe Oakes, an 81-year-old Paul supporter. “That’s about the best thing you can say about him, that he stands for what’s right and he sticks by it.”
Kentucky political commentator Al Cross said: “He’s been a senator largely about Rand Paul, not about Kentucky interests, which is completely different from almost any other United States senator this state has ever had.”
Scott Jennings, a Kentucky-based political commentator, said: “I think Kentuckians value his contrarian voice because he’s often ahead of the curve on things. Rand covers a more visceral messaging end that taps into the emotions of a majority of Kentucky’s voters.”
“I like him because he’s got a backbone,” 71-year-old Vernon Willard said at the fish fry.
