Former President Donald Trump is endorsing Kentucky’s junior U.S. Senator for re-election. Rand Paul will be seeking a third term in office in 2022.
In a statement on Thursday, Trump said Senator Paul has “done a fantastic job for our Country, and for the incredible people of Kentucky.” Paul was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and ran for president in 2016.
Trump and Paul are former political rivals, often clashing when they both sought the GOP presidential nomination. But Paul later became one of Trump’s allies. During a stop in Logan County last week, Paul praised the former president for expanding the party.
“I think President Trump did a good job bringing working class people into the party," he told reporters. "At times there’s been a sense that Republicans were more of a country club, richer people’s party. Trump really brought in a lot of America’s working class and that was good for the party.”
Senator Paul said the growth of the GOP can be attributed to the national Democratic party’s “extreme” views which clash with more rural voters.
So far it’s unknown who Paul will face in his re-election bid next year. Last month, former Kentucky State Rep. Charles Booker said he was "strongly considering" a challenge for Paul’s Senate seat.
