Des Moines

Rand Paul indicated today that he believes it would be bad for the Tea Party if his father, Ron Paul, decides to run as a third-party presidential candidate. But the younger Paul, a Republican senator from Kentucky, declined to say if he would support his father if Ron Paul does end up running on a third-party ticket.

Following an interview at a Des Moines radio station, I asked Rand Paul if he has encouraged his father to stay in the Republican party if he doesn’t win the GOP nomination. “I’m encouraging him to try to win the Iowa primary. It’s kind of hard to think about leaving your party when you might be the nominee,” he said.