Tries unsuccessfully for Senate

Paul was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in the 1984 GOP primary against Phil Gramm.

Having chosen to run for the Senate instead of re-election, Paul left Congress in 1985 and returned to full-time medical practice and was subsequently succeeded by Tom DeLay, then a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

In a farewell address on the House floor, Paul said, "Special interests have replaced the concern that the Founders had for general welfare. Vote trading is seen as good politics. The errand-boy mentality is ordinary, the defender of liberty is seen as bizarre. It's difficult for one who loves true liberty and utterly detests the power of the state to come to Washington for a period of time and not leave a true cynic."

Prev Event Next Event