Rand Paul says Arizona Senate race will separate real, fake conservatives
Feb 15, 2018, 10:00 AM
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul didn’t give a second thought to stepping into the politics of a state thousands of miles away from him. He jumped in months ago to endorse Arizona Dr. Kelli Ward for U.S. Senate.
“That’s what we need and that’s what primaries are about — separating out who are the real conservatives from who are the fake conservatives,” Paul told KTAR News 92.3 FM Arizona’s Morning News Thursday.
Paul, who ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, will speak at a rally for the former state senator Friday evening at a Scottsdale hotel.
Ward, who has been campaigning since October 2016, is running against former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Rep. Martha McSally of Tucson in the Republican primary for Jeff Flake’s seat.
The osteopath has been losing ground in the race, according to recent polls.
Related: Poll puts McSally ahead of Arpaio, Ward
“There’s a large dose of hypocrisy (within the GOP),” Paul said. “We were all concerned about (President Barack) Obama’s debt, we complained to no end. …
and yet now the Republicans are doing the same thing.”
The Senate passed a $300 billion spending budget a week ago.
Paul said he tweeted out that Republicans who voted for the deal were hypocrites.
“Many of my colleagues are not speaking to me, they’re very unhappy with me.”