Rand Paul had never run for office until this year when GOP primary voters in Kentucky shocked insiders by nominating him for the U.S. Senate over a more establishment Republican candidate.
Now, Phil Moffett — a candidate for governor in Kentucky — is hoping he’ll be the blue grass state’s next Rand Paul.
Like the libertarian-leaning ophthalmologist, Moffett is an outsider Republican who has never run for office before. He’s challenging Republican state Sen. David Williams in the state’s 2011 gubernatorial election, a clear favorite right now for the nomination.
But Moffett sees parallels between his race and Paul’s.
Moffett, in an interview with The Daily Caller, called himself an “outsider” running “on a constitutional conservative platform.”
“It matches up well with the Rand Paul, Trey Grayson primary,” he said of his race.
Politico’s David Catanese also noted how several Paul campaign supporters and workers, like former campaign manager David Adams, are helping Moffett’s campaign.
Moffett, a Louisville businessman who has embraced the Tea Party movement, said his campaign strategy for now consists of “retail politics” and taking advantage of free press.
The GOP nominee will face Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear.