Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul endorsed former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford in his bid for Congress on Tuesday.
“More than anything, Washington needs strong and consistent voices for fiscal responsibility and liberty,” Paul said in a statement. “Mark has proven during his time in office that watching out for taxpayers and holding the line on spending are his top priorities. What we absolutely cannot afford is someone like his opponent, who will be yet another vote for a return to the [Rep. Nancy] Pelosi speakership, for disastrous programs like Obamacare, and for more spending and debt. I am pleased to endorse Mark and stand with him in this race.”
Paul has made no secret of his presidential ambitions, and South Carolina, one of the early primary states, is a place he will be spending a lot of time in the lead up to 2016. CNN reported that Paul is laying the groundwork there with a number of events in June, where he will woo both rank and file Republicans and conservative activists.
Paul’s endorsement for Sanford comes one week after his father, former Congressman and many-time presidential candidate Ron Paul, endorsed the former governor.
“Rand has been an incredible advocate for both today’s and tomorrow’s taxpayers in the way he’s pushed for fiscal sustainability in Washington,” Sanford said of the younger Paul’s endorsement. “It goes back to this larger idea of walking the walk, and governing in the same way you campaign. I think in looking at my own record, there’s been a consistent theme of looking out for taxpayers and the bottom line. And unfortunately, with respect to my opponent, it simply isn’t believable that she would be an independent voice given who has been funding her campaign.”
Sanford faces an increasingly tough special election against Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch. Voters go to the polls on May 7.