Mr./Mrs./Ms. ***,
While we appreciate your enthusiasm for your candidate, the Center for Responsive Politics made the decision to remove Rep. Paul from our list of active presidential candidates on OpenSecrets.org after carefully reviewing the congressman's own words and actions.
In his March 6 video message to supporters, Congressman Paul does not explicitly say "I'm dropping out," but his remarks sounded remarkably like those parting words of every other Republican and Democratic candidate who has ended, suspended or otherwise ceased actively campaigning for president in 2008. "Though victory in the conventional political sense is not available in the presidential race, many victories have been achieved due to your hard work and enthusiasm" – what Rep. Paul said – is the same central message we've heard this year from the many other candidates who were once in this race: I may not have won, but this campaign achieved something and will continue—just not as a presidential campaign this year. For instance, Mitt Romney's campaign announced in February that he was "suspending" his campaign for the Republican nomination, not "ending" it, so we moved him shortly thereafter to the list of inactive candidates.
Secondly, Rep. Paul's focus in the last month or so on his congressional primary in Texas, followed by his resounding win there, indicated to us that he sees himself as a candidate for re-election to the House of Representatives, not as a candidate for president. OpenSecrets.org does list him as an active candidate in the Texas-14 race, and we will continue to do so.
Thirdly, once John McCain secured enough delegates last week to become the Republican Party's presidential nominee, we felt comfortable moving Rep. Paul to the list of inactive candidates following his March 6 video message, along with other candidates who have come up short in the delegate race and delivered similar valedictions. Republican Alan Keyes remains on our list, along with Mike Gravel on the Democratic roster of candidates, pending an announcement from the candidate similar to what we've heard from Rep. Paul and others.
That a candidate remains on the primary ballot in some states is not sufficient reason to continue including him among active candidates, in the Center's view. Many of the other candidates who have dropped out remain on ballots for which they qualified long ago.
Furthermore, that the candidate's supporters say he is a candidate, or want him to remain a candidate, is not sufficient reason for us to continue including him among active candidates. We interpret the candidate's own statements when making our decisions.
In addition to monitoring Rep. Paul's continued fundraising for his House re-election race, we will continue to process and analyze his presidential campaign finance reports, just as we will continue to process the data for the other candidates who were once actively campaigning for president.
Should Rep. Paul or one of his aides wish to make the case that he is still actively running for president, please invite them to contact the Center to discuss this.
Thanks for your inquiry, and for using OpenSecrets.org.
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Communications Director
