Kentucky Republicans nominated Sen. Rand Paul for a second term in their primary Tuesday.
While Paul won the GOP nomination over the opposite of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and most other party leaders in 2010, on Tuesday night he faced no serious opposition.
The libertarian-leaning lawmaker’s relations with McConnell have improved over the last six years. Yet he had hoped to be vying for a higher office this year. Paul sought the Republican presidential nomination. He was competitive in the earliest polling but he ended up dropping out after a disappointing finish in Iowa.
Paul persuaded Kentucky Republicans to change their presidential nominating contest to a caucus to make it easier for him to pursue the White House and re-election simultaneously. He was already out of the race by the time the Bluegrass State’s GOP caucus rolled around. Donald Trump, a frequent target of Paul’s barbs, won.
Lexington Mayor Jim Gray won the Democratic nomination to face off against Paul in the Senate race this fall. Gray beat a field of five other Democrats. He will be at a steep disadvantage in the general election but was viewed as the Democrats’ strongest contender.
Republicans are vying to maintain control of the U.S. Senate.
