Rand PAC 2016 launched Thursday as a new independent-expenditure-only committee, otherwise known as a Super PAC. But does it even support Rand Paul?
As reported on Roll Call:
The PAC website also does not say it is going to support Rand Paul in either a presidential or senatorial race in 2016.
The PAC is based in Hayward, California and its treasurer is Nick Nuckelt. The custodian of books is Brandon Edwards of Castro Valley, CA.
The new super PAC could also confuse many with its name and website address. The super PAC should not be confused with Rand Paul for U.S. Senate 2016, which is the principal campaign committee of the senator and has a website at
www.randpaul2016.com. It should also not be confused with Sen. Rand Paul’s leadership PAC, Reinventing a New Direction – RandPAC, that has a website at
www.randpac.com .
According to the conservative newspaper The Washington Examiner, Rand Paul is selling out his national speaking tour and those pre-existing PACs mentioned above already take in something like $12,500 a day—and that’s before any kind of official announcement of presidential intentions.
Like his father, former U.S. representative and presidential candidate Ron Paul, the younger Paul has proven popular with the more libertarian wing of the Republican Party and, to some extent, the conservative base that will ultimately choose the nominee. The elder Paul had no trouble raising money for his presidential campaigns, much of it from grass-roots supporters. In 2008, Ron Paul raised 39 percent of his campaign funds from small donors who gave less than $201. Barack Obama, during the same election cycle, raised 34 percent of his general election funds from small donors, and that figure was widely reported as something of a phenomenon.
Still, if Rand Paul decides to follow in his father’s footsteps and run, he’ll probably hope to win at least one primary or caucus, which Rep. Paul failed to do in either 2008 or 2012.
