Rand Paul ends presidential bid

Alex Hanson/Iowa State Daily

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, 2016 Republican presidential candidate, during a pre-caucus rally at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.

Alex Hanson
February 3, 2016

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., ended his bid for the presidency Monday, less than two days after coming in fifth in the Iowa Caucus.

Paul, the libertarian-leaning-Republican, has tried to follow in his fathers footsteps — former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who ran for president three times and gained a following in the “liberty movement.”

“It’s been an incredible honor to run a principled campaign for the White House,” Paul said in a statement. “Today, I will end where I began, ready and willing to fight for the cause of Liberty.”

Paul will now likely focus on his reelection to the U.S. Senate from Kentucky, which Republicans in the state have said may be more important now that his presidential campaign has struggled to gain ground.

“Although, today I will suspend my campaign for President, the fight is far from over,” Paul said. “I will continue to carry the torch for Liberty in the United States Senate and I look forward to earning the privilege to represent the people of Kentucky for another term.”

Paul often found himself sparring with fellow GOP candidates on stage over fiscal conservatism, arguing increases in military spending was just as irresponsible as increasing domestic spending. He also went back and forth over foreign policy, arguing for a “non-interventionist” foreign policy and an end to domestic spying programs.

His move to suspend his presidency follows Mike Huckabee suspending his bid on Monday.