The Son Of Ron Paul Rises

Here in Kentucky politics, the big news this week is Ron Paul's son Rand Paul raising about $600,000 in just three weeks for Sen. Jim Bunning's seat in 2010, deeply complicating the Republican primary race.

On Thursday, Rand Paul, an eye doctor with no professional history in politics, announced that his campaign had been given $433,509 in just 24 hours; Just an echo of the $6 million, one-day “money bomb” his father enjoyed during the 2008 presidential campaigns.

“The real-time donation counter at Dr. Paul’s website at RandPaul2010.com shows that the campaign has raised over $680,000,” Rand’s campaign Web site declares.

“Paul announced his Senate bid earlier this month, soon after Republican Sen. Jim Bunning, a Hall of Fame major league baseball pitcher, announced his decision to not seek a third term in 2010,” noted Washington, D.C. publication Congressional Quarterly.

CQ added: “Bunning said he opted against a re-election bid because of an inability to raise enough money to run a viable campaign. He had been widely considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in the nation.”

Rand had originally hoped to raise $1 million on August 20.

“This online total, raised from thousands of individuals often in increments of $5 to $25, is clearly a record in Kentucky politics,” his campaign Web site notes. “Yesterday’s online raise brings Rand Paul’s fundaising to parity with the establishment candidate. No other candidate from Kentucky has raised this much money in one day online.”

According to early polls in the race, Paul still trails his opponents significantly.

Republican Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s secretary of state, currently edges out Paul 37% to 26%, according to SurveyUSA. Fellow Republican challenger Bill Johnson, a Kentucky businessman, was not included in the poll.

That's a problem for Grayson, and a serious one. Coming out of nowhere to get 26% of Republicans in this state over Grayson is a big deal, and something that makes Rand Paul a serious contender for the GOP nomination next year, at least so far. Grayson is more or less the Kentucky GOP's golden boy, the hand-picked successor for Bunning's seat. Paul just became the economy-sized monkey wrench in that plan...oh yeah, and the Democrats are still outraising both Republicans by about 5 to 1 so far.

More on Rand Paul's politics over at the Daily Beast (surprise, he sounds like his dad) while the Senate Guru runs down the Democratic challengers, KY AG Jack Conway and former Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo.

Needless to say, I'll be keeping a close eye on this 2010 race.

[UPDATE 8:55 AM] Added some good Kentucky political blogs over in the list on the side. If you have any suggestions for KY or Cincy political blogs, let me know.