The 112th Congress will be the first and last shared by Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and his son, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).
Ron Paul tells the Clute, TX The Facts newspaper that he won’t be seeking another term in the House next year, choosing instead to focus all his attention on running for the presidency once again.
“I felt it was better that I concentrate on one election,” Paul told the paper. “It’s about that time when I should change tactics.”
In the twelve terms he’s served in the House, Ron Paul, 75, has been the lead vehicle for libertarian politics on Capitol Hill. Now, with his son carrying a similar banner in the Senate, Paul’s legacy is assured even as he retires from Congress.
Paul told The Facts he chose to make his announcement now to give new candidates enough time to spool up. The local GOP chair said the news came as a surprise.
“”I’m surprised,” she told the paper. “He has won very handily in the last few elections. He’s hung in there all these years.”
Evan McMorris-Santoro
Evan McMorris-Santoro has covered politics for TPM since 2009. Before that, he was a reporter at National Journal’s Hotline covering election 2008. He started his career covering local politics at newspapers in TN and his native NC.
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