Rand Paul speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in

National Harbor, Maryland on March 14, 2013

Rand Paul first acknowledged a possible 2016 presidential candidacy in January

2013.[2] On February 13, 2013, Paul delivered the Tea Party response to President
Barack Obama's State of the Union address,[3] prompting some pundits to consider
him a potential candidate in the upcoming presidential election.[4] On March 6–7,
2013, Paul engaged in a filibuster to delay voting on the nomination of John O.
Brennan as the Director of the CIA. Paul questioned the Obama administration's use
of drones and the stated legal justification for their potential use within the
United States. Paul held the floor for 12 hours and 52 minutes.[5] Following his
filibuster, Paul spoke at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
in Washington D.C.,[6] where he won the presidential straw poll with 25% of the
votes cast.[7] Paul again spoke at CPAC in National Harbor, Maryland on March 7,
2014.[8][9] The day after his speech, he won the presidential straw poll for the
second year in a row with 31% of the votes cast, nearly triple the percentage of
runner-up U.S. Senator Ted Cruz with 11%.[10][11]

In April 2014, Paul spoke at the GOP Freedom Summit, an event organized by
Americans for Prosperity and Citizens United,[12] which was also attended by
several other potential presidential candidates.[13] In his speech, he insisted
that the GOP has to broaden its appeal in order to grow as a party. To do so, he
said it cannot be the party of "fat cats, rich people and Wall Street" and that the
conservative movement has never been about rich people or privilege, "we are the
middle class", he said. Paul also said that conservatives must present a message of
justice and concern for the unemployed and be against government surveillance to
attract new people to the movement, including young people, and Hispanic and
African Americans.[14][15][16]
Voter outreach efforts

In an October 2014 speech in Detroit, Paul stated, "The Republican Party brand
sucks, and so people don't want to be a Republican, and for 80 years, African-
Americans have had nothing to do with Republicans." He stated that reshaping the
Republican Party's brand would be crucial to the party's success. Leading up to his
decision about running for president, Paul attempted to broaden the appeal of the
Republican party.[17] He visited several historically black colleges, including
Howard University, Bowie State University, and Simmons College.[18] In addition, he
visited Ferguson, Missouri, and also spoke at the Detroit Economic Club.[18][19]
During his remarks, Paul highlighted his efforts to improve the criminal justice
system by reforming mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and restoring voting rights
of individuals with non-violent felonies, which Paul believes disproportionately
affects the African American and Hispanic communities. Paul also introduced his
plan to create "economic freedom zones" which would help areas of high
unemployment, such as Louisville or Detroit, to reduce federal regulation and taxes
to boost economic growth.[18] Paul received praise for his efforts from Lorraine
Miller, acting president of the NAACP,[20] and he also sponsored legislation with
Democratic U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand to improve the criminal
justice system for young men and women in a "cycle of poverty and
incarceration."[21] Paul's outreach to minority communities seemed to be working,
as polls showed him receiving up to 29% of the African-American vote in his home
state. By contrast, Republican presidential nominee John McCain received 4% of the
African-American vote in 2008, and nominee Mitt Romney received 6% in 2012.[22]
Dual candidacy issues
Further information: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2016

Kentucky law does not allow presidential (or vice-presidential) nominees to run for
office in the state, meaning Paul could not concurrently run for president and
reelection to the Senate. However, Paul filed to run for re-election to his Senate
seat in April 2011.[23][24] In March 2014, the Republican-controlled Kentucky
Senate passed a bill that would allow Paul to run for both offices, but the
Democratic-controlled Kentucky House of Representatives declined to take it up.[25]
[26][27] During the 2014 legislative elections, Paul attempted to shift the power
in the House to the Republicans, who were more likely to pass the bill. Paul spent
his own campaign money in the elections, helping Republican candidates for the
state house. Even if Democratic governor Steve Beshear were to veto the
legislation, that veto can be overridden with a simple majority.[28][29] However,
the Democrats retained their 54–46 majority in the state house.[30][31][32] Paul in
turn gave his support to the idea that the Kentucky Republican Party could decide
to hold a caucus in March separately from the regular primary in May, allowing for
the party to have more time to pick a new senatorial candidate should Paul clinch
the Republican presidential nomination, which the party agreed to do at a meeting
in March 2015.[33][34]
2014 midterm elections
In addition to his own political prospects, in the lead up to the 2014 midterm
elections, Paul made a point to campaign for several Senate and Congressional
candidates, including Joni Ernst and Rod Blum in Iowa, former U.S. Senator Scott
Brown in New Hampshire, David Perdue in Georgia, Thom Tillis in North Carolina,
Mitch McConnell in Kentucky and Pat Roberts in Kansas.[35] Paul facilitated these
endorsements through his political action committee known as Rand PAC, which was
able to provide funds for candidates that Paul had endorsed, as well as provide
volunteer support, and air television and radio commercials in support of certain
candidates.[36] Because of Paul's appeal to younger voters a