Ron Paul

Ronald Ernest Paul, MD (born August 20, 1935), a physician and Texas politician, is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 14th Congressional District (map) and a former Presidential Candidate of the United States Libertarian Party. First elected to Congress as a Republican in the 22nd District in 1976, he served through 1984, and then retired due to his support for the concept of term limits for Congressmen. After his failed Presidential bid in 1988, Paul returned to Congress in 1996 — again elected as a Republican, however, against the wishes of the local Party, who had backed Paul's primary opponent, the incumbent Democratic representative who had switched party affilation.

Biography

He became a delegate to the Texas state Republican convention in 1974. He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for election to Congress in 1974 against entrenched liberal Democrat Robert R. Casey. When Casey was appointed head of the Federal Maritime Commission by President Gerald Ford, a special election was held in April 1976 to replace him. Paul won that election but lost six months later in the general election to Democrat Robert A. Gammage although he defeated him in a 1978 rematch. He went on to be re-elected in 1980 and 1982. He was the first Congressman to propose term limit legislation for the House of Representatives. In 1984, citing his term limits proposal, he did not seek reelection to the House, although he unsuccessfully contested the Republican primary for Senate. He was succeeded by Tom DeLay, a now prominent Republican congressman. From 1985 he returned to medical practice as an OBGYN.

Related Topics:
1974 - Democrat - Gerald Ford - 1978 - 1980 - 1982 - 1984 - Tom DeLay - 1985 - OBGYN

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In 1988, Dr. Paul won the nomination of the Libertarian Party for the U.S. Presidency. He eventually placed third (with 0.3% of the popular vote) behind George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis.

Related Topics:
1988 - Libertarian Party - U.S. Presidency - George H. W. Bush - Michael Dukakis

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In 1996, Paul was again elected to the House as a Republican. Mainstream Republican Party figures backed the incumbent, Greg Laughlin, a Democratic representative who had switched parties in the wake of the Republican takeover of Congress. Laughlin attempted to portray Paul's views as extreme and eccentric. However, Paul won the primary and went on to win the general election.

Related Topics:
1996 - Greg Laughlin

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Leaders of the Texan Republican Party made similar efforts to defeat him in 1998, but he again won the primary and the election. The Republican congressional leadership then agreed to a compromise: Paul votes with the Republicans on procedural matters and remains nominally Republican in exchange for the committee assignments normally due according to his seniority. This is arguably similar to the deal that Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont has with the Democratic Party (though Jeffords was elected as a Republican and is now officially independent). He was convincingly re-elected in 2000 and 2002. He was elected unopposed in 2004 to his ninth term in the Congress. He is a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

Related Topics:
1998 - Senator - Jim Jeffords - Vermont - 2000 - 2002 - 2004 - Republican Liberty Caucus

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