Ron Paul
| Ronald Ernest Paul | |
 | |
| U.S House of Representatives Texas' 14th District | |
| January 3, 1997—January 3, 2013 | |
| Predecessor: | Greg Laughlin |
| Successor: | Randy Weber |
| U.S. House of Representatives Texas' 22nd District | |
| January 3, 1979—January 3, 1985 | |
| Predecessor: | Bob Gammage |
| Successor: | Tom DeLay |
| U.S. House of Representatives Texas' 22nd District | |
| 1976—1977 | |
| Predecessor: | Bob Casey |
| Successor: | Bob Gammage |
| Personal Details | |
| Birth: | August 20, 1935 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Education: | Gettysburg College Duke University |
| Military: | United States Air Force |
| Occupation: | Author, Physician |
| Residence: | Lake Jackson, Texas. |
| Party: | Libertarian (1987—96; 2015—present) Republican (prior to 1987; 1996—2015) |
| Media | |
| Website: | http://ronpaulinstitute.org/ |
| Facebook: | |
| Twitter: | |
| view image gallery | |
| view publications | |
Ronald Ernest Paul (b. August 20, 1935) is a retired politician, author, and physician living in Lake Jackson, Texas. He was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives, first elected in a special election to Texas' 22nd congressional district from 1976-1977, and again 1979-1985. Later he was elected to Texas' 14th congressional district from 1996 until his retirement in 2013.
Paul has run for president several times, launching his first campaign in 1988 as a Libertarian. He would run for president two more times in 2008 and 2012, seeking the Republican nomination both times.
During the 2016 US Presidential election, Ron Paul received a single Electoral College vote from a faithless elector from Texas, making him both the oldest person and the second Libertarian (after 1972 candidate John Hospers) to receive an electoral college vote for president.[1]
Biography
Early Life
Ron Paul was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Dormont High School, Dormont, Pennsylvania 1953. He received his B.A. from Gettysburg College (1957) and M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine (1961). He did his internship and residency training at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan from 1961 to 1962. He was a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force from 1963 to 1965. He went on to do obstetrics and gynecology training at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1965-1968. In 1968 he and his wife Carol moved to Surfside Beach, Texas.
Political Beginnings, 1st Term in Office (1974-1984)
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 but lost six months later in the general election to Democrat Robert A. Gammage.
He went on to defeat Gammage in 1978, and would 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 disgraced Republican congressman. From 1985-1988 he returned to medical practice as an obstetrician and gynecologist.
Committee Assignments (1974-1984)
- House Banking Committee
1988 Presidential Campaign
In 1988, Paul ran for president of the United States. Paul was nominated to run as the Libertarian Party Presidential candidate at the 1987 Libertarian National Convention. He placed third in the 1988 election, behind Republican nominee and Vice President George H. W. Bush and Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis.
1987 Libertarian Party National Convention
After receiving the Presidential candidate nomination from the Libertarian Party, Alaska State House Representative Andre Marrou was unanimously selected to be his running mate.
Results
| Name | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Paul | 196 | 51.31% |
| Russell Means | 120 | 31.41% |
| James A. Lewis | 49 | 12.83% |
| NOTA (write-in) | 14 | 3.66% |
| Harry Glenn | 3 | 0.79% |
Presidential Election Year Fundraising
| 1988 | Total Receipts |
|---|---|
| January | 35,896 |
| February | 29,431 |
| March | 120,116 |
| April | 43,228 |
| May | 143,298 |
| June | 124,470 |
| July | 50,434 |
| August | 68,035 |
| September | 177,803 |
| Oct 1 - Oct 20 | 98,394 |
| Oct 21 - Nov 28 | 207,122 |
| Nov 29 - Dec 31 | 11,156 |
| 1988 Total | 1,109,383 |
Election Results
| Party | Name/Running Mate | Electoral Votes | Percent | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George H. W. Bush / Dan Quayle | 426 | 53.37% | 48,886,597 |
| Democratic | Michael Dukakis / Lloyd Bentsen | 111 | 45.65% | 41,809,476 |
| Libertarian | Ron Paul / Andre Marrou | 0 | 0.47% | 432,207 |
| New Alliance | Lenora Fulani / Joyce Dattner | 0 | 0.24% | 217,221 |
| Populist | David Duke / Floyd Parker | 0 | 0.05% | 47,004 |
| Consumer/Progressive | Eugene McCarthy / Florence Rice | 0 | 0.03% | 30,905 |
| American Independent | James Griffen / Charles Morsa | 0 | 0.03% | 27,818 |
| Various | All Others | 0 | 0.16% | 143,915 |
Return to the Republican Party, 2nd Term in Office (1996-2013)
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.
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. He was convincingly re-elected in 2000 and 2002. He was elected unopposed in 2004 to his ninth term in the Congress. He was a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus.
Committee Assignments (1996-2013)
Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology (Chair)
- Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade
Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
2008 Presidential Campaign
On March 2007, Paul launched his second campaign for President, seeking the Republican nomination.[4] His campaign raised over $20 million, one of the largest amounts raised of the Republican candidates.[5] Paul would finish with second highest number of delegate votes at the 2008 Republican National Convention, losing the nomination to John McCain.
Results
| Name | Percentage | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| John McCain | 98.44% | 2,343 |
| Ron Paul | 0.88% | 21 |
| Delegates that did not vote | 0.59% | 14 |
| Mitt Romney | 0.08% | 2 |
2012 Presidential Campaign
Ron Paul announced his third bid for President of the United States on May 13, 2011, again seeking the Republican nomination.[7] Paul-aligned delegates experienced tremendous successes in state Republican conventions across the country. They went into the 2012 Republican National Convention with a significant presence, including sufficient numbers to officially nominate Paul for President from the convention floor. However, a dubiously-ratified last minute change to the RNC Rules effectively blocked the effort, leading to Romney's uncontested nomination. [8]
Results
| Name | Percent | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Mitt Romney | 90% | 2061 |
| Ron Paul | 0.08% | 190 |
| Rick Santorum | 0.04% | 9 |
| Others | 0.01% | 3 |
A Magnificent Exception
Arguably, there is an exception to the no-Libertarians-elected-to-national-office rule, at least if you spell "libertarian" with a small "l". (That is, implying philosophical libertarianism apart from party affiliation.) Ron Paul, U.S. Representative from the 14th District, Texas, has served in the U.S. Congress from 1976 to 1984 and 1997 to 2013. He has served as a Republican, but in 1988 he ran for President on the Libertarian party ticket. Although he is no longer affiliated with the Libertarian party, he remains and long has been the most principaled advocate of liberty in federal office.
External Links
- Official web site of Congressman Ron Paul
- National Taxpayers Union Honors Ron Paul as one of 29 Congressman who are "Taxpayer's Friends"
- Commentary by Rep. Paul on U.S. policy in the Middle East
- Our Candidates Listing
- His Politics 1 2008 Listing
- Libertarian Lady, Exotic Dancer for Ron Paul
- Patrick J Buchanan's endorces of Ron Paul
- Vancouver, BC Magazine Endorces Ron Paul
- 1996, 2002, 2005, 2008: Mayoral Candidate, Buday endorces Ron E. Paul for President or at least FD Thompson/Ron Paul (tie break no vote)
References
- Gwynne, Sam (Oct. 1, 2001). Texas Monthly.
- Bernstein, Alan (May 23, 1996). Newsletter excerpts offer ammunition to Paul's opponent; GOP hopeful quoted on race, crime. The Houston Chronicle, p. A33.
References
- ↑ http://www.theblaze.com/news/2016/12/20/the-identity-of-the-faithless-elector-who-voted-for-ron-paul-and-why-he-did-it-has-been-revealed/
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/06/us/libertarians-pick-ex-congressman-in-88-bid.html
- ↑ http://www.fec.gov/press/summaries/2016/tables/presidential/TopPresEle.pdf
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20081205085934/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA031207.paul2008.EN.74141d9.html
- ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119906159792258573?mod=googlenews_wsj
- ↑ http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/R.phtml
- ↑ http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/13/breaking-rep-ron-paul-announces-third-bid-for-presidency/
- ↑ See article and sources at 2012 Republican National Convention
| Preceded by: David Bergland |
Libertarian Party Presidential candidate 1988 |
Succeeded by: Andre Marrou |