--- title: Rand Paul Kicks Off 2016 Campaign description: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul officially kicked off his campaign for the White House Tuesday, becoming the second candidate in the race. canonical: https://time.com/3773659/rand-paul-campaign-launch/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-04-07T15:48:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:01.872Z article:section: Politics og:title: Rand Paul Kicks Off 2016 Campaign og:description: He became the second official candidate in the 2016 race. og:url: https://time.com/3773659/rand-paul-campaign-launch/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc6e1a9289d5d75a3/69878702cd684854d409a85e/rand-paul1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Rand Paul Announces His Candidacy For The Republican Presidential Nomination og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Rand Paul Kicks Off 2016 Campaign twitter:description: He became the second official candidate in the 2016 race. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc6e1a9289d5d75a3/69878702cd684854d409a85e/rand-paul1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Rand Paul Kicks Off 2016 Campaign ## Video: Real TIME: Rand Paul at CPAC 2015 [Watch (HLS stream): Real TIME: Rand Paul at CPAC 2015](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uYFxnb6v.m3u8) (0:59)  _Published 2015-02-27. Rand Paul touched on Hillary Clinton, Obamacare, and his proposed reforms for Congress in his speech at CPAC on Friday._ by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Apr 7, 2015 3:48 PM UTC  Sen. Rand Paul delivers remarks while announcing his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination during an event at the Galt House Hotel on April 7, 2015 in Louisville, KY. Sen. Rand Paul delivers remarks while announcing his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination during an event at the Galt House Hotel on April 7, 2015 in Louisville, KY.Luke Sharrett—Getty Images by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Apr 7, 2015 3:48 PM UTC Sen. Rand Paul announced a run for the White House Tuesday, with a campaign launch that aimed to expand the GOP’s tent while stressing classic Republican themes of limited government and fiscal responsibility. In a mid-morning speech in Louisville, the Kentucky Republican began by paraphrasing a victory speech from his 2010 Senate primary victory, in which he defeated a candidate backed by the state’s GOP establishment. “I have a message, a message that is loud and clear and does not mince words: We have come to take our country back,” he said. “Less than five years ago I stood just down the road in home town in Bowling Green and said those same words. I wasn’t supposed to win, no one thought I would.” (The original speech was slightly different, as Paul had then begun by saying that he had he had [“a message from the Tea Party.”](http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/blogging-the-primaries/)) **_Read More:_**[_Excerpts of Paul’s Remarks_](http://time.com/3773964/transcript-read-full-text-of-sen-rand-pauls-campaign-launch/) Paul was introduced by an array of speakers, including former Republican Rep. J.C. Watts of Oklahoma; Rev. Jerry Stephenson, [who leads an inner-city ministry](http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/rand-pauls-selective-engagement-113339.html); and University of Kentucky student Lauren Bosler, and his wife, Kelley, among others. His speech also contained several nods to his hopes to expand the Republican coalition to include younger voters and more ethnic diversity. “This message of liberty is for all Americans, Americans from all walks of life,” he said. “The message of liberty, opportunity and justice is for all Americans, whether you wear a suit, a uniform or overalls, whether you’re white or black, rich or poor.” At the same time, Paul ticked off several proposals from the standard Republican toolkit, including a constitutional amendment to force Congress to balance the budget, term limits for members of Congress and increasing school choice. “We cannot, we must not dilute our message or give up on our principles,” he said. “If we nominate a candidate who is simply Democrat Light, what’s the point?” **_Take the Quiz:_**[_Who Said It: Ron or Rand Paul?_](http://time.com/3772936/ron-paul-rand-paul-quiz/) On foreign policy, Paul split the difference, arguing that he backs a stronger military “unencumbered by overseas nation building.” He argued that President Obama’s recent negotiations with Iran to end sanctions if the country halts its nuclear weapons programs are inadequate. Noting that he voted for the sanctions, he argued that Congress should also vote on the final deal and said that Obama had negotiated “from a position of weakness.” “I will oppose any deal that does not end Iran’s nuclear ambitions and have strong verification measures,” he said. Paul’s announcement made him the second candidate to officially jump in the race, after fellow Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who [jumped in the race](http://time.com/3753520/ted-cruz-presidential-run-campaign-2016/) in late March. ### Photos: On the Road with Rand Paul  Senator Rand Paul talks to voters at the Horry County Republican Party in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul talks with students at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul's boots are seen as he talks with students at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul bows his head in prayer before talking to voters at the Horry County Republican Party in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul and GOP Senatorial candidate Thom Tillis meet with diners at Big Ed's restaurant in Raleigh, N.C. on Oct. 1st, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul attends a BBQ event at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  In a back tent, Senator Paul manages to have five minutes alone to go over his speech at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell attend a BBQ event at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul speaks at a BBQ event at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  The BBQ event's band at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME Before Paul took the stage, the campaign played a video from country singer John Rich, [“Shuttin’ Detroit Down,”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMx%5F%5F6Zc3S0) interspersed with clips of the Senator talking about his plans for economic “freedom zones,” an idea first pushed by former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp. **_Read More:_**[_Rand Paul’s First Gaffe_](http://time.com/3760885/rand-paul-first-gaffe/) Cruz welcomed Paul to the primary with a statement on his website Tuesday. “I am glad to welcome my friend Rand Paul into the 2016 GOP primary,” he wrote. “Rand is a good friend, and we have worked side by side on many issues.” _Read next:_ [_How Rand Paul Wants to Change the GOP_](http://time.com/3771972/rand-paul-announce-president-republican/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3773659/rand-paul-campaign-launch/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3773659/rand-paul-campaign-launch/"},"headline":"Rand Paul Kicks Off 2016 Campaign","datePublished":"2015-04-07T15:48:10.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:41:01.872Z","description":"He's the second candidate to officially join the race","url":"https://time.com/3773659/rand-paul-campaign-launch/","keywords":["Rand Paul","2016 Election topic","ted cruz"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc6e1a9289d5d75a3/69878702cd684854d409a85e/rand-paul1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ryan Teague Beckwith","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc6e1a9289d5d75a3/69878702cd684854d409a85e/rand-paul1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Rand Paul Announces His Candidacy For The Republican Presidential Nomination","caption":"Rand Paul Announces His Candidacy For The Republican Presidential Nomination","creditText":"Luke Sharrett—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/rand-paul/","name":"Rand Paul"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3773659/rand-paul-campaign-launch/","name":"Rand Paul Kicks Off 2016 Campaign"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Real TIME: Rand Paul at CPAC 2015","description":"Rand Paul touched on Hillary Clinton, Obamacare, and his proposed reforms for Congress in his speech at CPAC on Friday.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/uYFxnb6v/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-02-27T21:31:21.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uYFxnb6v.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3773659/rand-paul-campaign-launch/","duration":"PT59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3773659/rand-paul-campaign-launch/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```