Republican Sen. Rand Paul might be dropping hints regarding his interest in replacing Sen. Mitch McConnell as Senate minority leader. McConnell announced last week that he will be stepping down from his leadership post in November.
That leaves it wide open for grabs. There is speculation that Paul could have his eyes on the prize.
Both senators are from Kentucky and both are Republicans, but that seems to be the extent of what they have in common.
Where McConnell stringently adheres to the political code, Paul doesn’t.
He says what is on his mind and what he feels is right regardless of what either party is doing. Then he brings his opinions to the people. He is similar to GOP presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump in this way.
Paul frequently uses the X social media platform, where he is quite popular. When he wants particular issues to be known or has questions that need answers, he puts it out on X inviting voters to respond.
The senator did so again Friday.
“Thousands of people have been asking if I’d run for Senate leadership…,” he said.
Thousands of people have been asking if I’d run for Senate leadership…
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 8, 2024
Paul also posted a poll and asked, “VOTE NOW. Who would you like to be the next Senate leader?”
The three Republican senators for whom X users could vote were Paul, John Thune of South Dakota and John Cornyn of Texas.
🚨🗳️VOTE NOW 🗳️ 🚨 Who would you like to be the next Senate leader?
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 8, 2024
Thune and Cornyn have been mentioned as favorites for the position by The Washington Post, Politico and others.
However, as of Friday afternoon, Paul had nearly 97 percent of the votes with more than 80,000 cast.
The junior senator from Kentucky has been in office since 2011. He ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 in a race won by Trump. Since then, he’s been an avid supporter of Trump.
The notion that Paul could end up as Senate Republican leader — a position held by McConnell since 2007 — is really something. Where Paul has been called a libertarian-minded Republican, McConnell is known to be more calculating and tactical in his politics.
Would Rand Paul be a good Senate Republican leader?
Yes: 98% (39 Votes)
No: 2% (1 Votes)
The two also differed in a big way regarding mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul, a physician by trade, refused to wear a mask and expressed his opinions about their effectiveness against the virus so vigilantly on YouTube he was banned from the platform. McConnell took the exact opposite approach, adamantly promoting the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
They’ve differed on numerous decisions, including judicial appointees, federal spending and foreign policy. So opposite are they that it’s earned them the title of “political odd couple,” according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Paul has accused McConnell of working behind closed doors with Democrats to cut secret deals not in the best interest of the nation. And McConnell has bit back by touting his ability to get things done where Paul never could.
The Kentucky senators represent two sides of the GOP for certain. If Paul wins the seat, voters will learn which one is stronger and in control.
