Rand Paul Drops Out of GOP Race for White House

Reportedly short on cash and support, the U.S. senator from Kentucky ended his quest for the Republican nomination after a poor showing in Iowa.

Dawn Ennis

The Advocate's news editor Dawn Ennis successfully transitioned from broadcast journalism to online media following another transition that made headlines; in 2013, she became the first trans staffer in any major TV network newsroom. As the first out transgender editor at The Advocate, the native New Yorker continues her 30-year media career, in which she has earned more than a dozen awards, including two Emmys. With the blessing of her three children, Dawn retains the most important job title she's ever held: Dad.

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Dawn Ennis

February 03 2016 11:10 AM EST

November 03 2017 10:32 PM EST

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Rand Paul announced he is ending his campaign for president today and will instead focus on getting reelected in Kentucky to the U.S. Senate.

Officially, Paul said he was "suspending" his campaign. "Today, I will end where I began, ready and willing to fight for the cause of liberty," the ophthalmologist said in a statement.

"Brushfires of Liberty were ignited, and those will carry on, as will I," Paul said in the statement, which was retweeted by reporters.

\u201cRand Paul Issues a Statement on His Presidential Campaign\u201d
— Zeke Miller (@Zeke Miller) 1454507980

Paul angered the LGBT community with his statement at a campaign stop in Iowa that was widely interpreted to mean LGBT workers would be better off staying closeted than coming out in the workplace.

"The things you do in your house, if you leave them in your house, they wouldn't have to be part of the workplace," Paul said last October. He also said, "If you are gay, there are plenty of places that will hire you." Paul slammed antidiscrimination laws for providing the opportunity for more lawsuits.

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton responded to Paul with a tweet featuring her one word answer to a debate question:

\u201cThe feeling when a GOP candidate says it's acceptable to be fired for being gay. https://t.co/cF9mw5k8fq\u201d
— Hillary Clinton (@Hillary Clinton) 1444862074

According to Politico, Paul's brand of "libertarian-infused" conservative failed to catch on, although he was believed to be a stronger candidate than his libertarian father, former Rep. Ron Paul, had been in 2008 and 2012.