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Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) represents the Texas 14th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Although elected as a Republican Party candidate, he is known for his free market libertarian ideology, which frequently conflicts with his fellow Republicans and indeed all of his colleagues. His regular votes against almost all government spending, taxes, and new programs as well as the fact that he is often the lone dissenter in otherwise unanimous votes have earned him the nickname "Dr. No".
Ron Paul has been criticized by the Daily Texan Online for voting against awarding the Congressional Medal to civil rights activist Rosa Parks, humanitarian Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II. He also opposed a bill that banned the practice of catching sharks, removing their fins and throwing them back in the water. He also opposed President Bush on sending troops to Iraq, including opposing funding body armor and support for the troops.
He is being opposed for re-election by Loy Sneary, a Democrat rice farmer in the largely agricultural 14th District. Democrats charge that Ron Paul presents a different image to voters than his votes in the Congress.
Although his economic views have earned him a reputation as a conservative, he has strongly criticized the United States' intervention in Iraq and what he charges is the use of the war on terror to curtail civil liberties.
Ron Paul was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received his B.A. from Gettysburg College (1957) and M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine (1961). He served as a surgeon for the United States Air Force in the 1960s. In 1968 he and his wife Carol moved to Texas, where they reside in the town of Surfside Beach.
Dr. Paul was first elected to the House in a 1976 special election to replace Robert R. Casey, who had been appointed to the Federal Maritime Commission. He lost his bid for a full term in the November 1976 election to Democrat Robert A. Gammage but defeated Gammage in a 1978 rematch. In 1984, he chose not to seek reelection and returned to private practice as an OBGYN.
In 1988, Dr. Paul won the nomination of the Libertarian Party for the U.S. Presidency. He spent the year campaigning across the country on the Libertarian Party platform eventually placing third behind George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis.
In 1996, he was again elected to the House. Because Texas ballot access laws prevented him from running as a Libertarian, he ran as a Republican. Knowing that he was actually a Libertarian, the Republican Party backed his challenger in the primary; however, he won it and went on to win the general election. The Republican Party made similar efforts in 1998, but he again won the primary and the election. The Republicans, having twice failed to defeat him, agreed to a compromise: Paul votes with the Republicans on procedural matters and remains nominally Republican in exchange for the committee assignments normally due according to his seniority. This is similar to the deal that Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont has with the Democratic Party.
Paul remains a member of the Libertarian Party, as well as of the Republican Liberty Caucus.
District and contact information
The 14th Congressional District of Texas stretches from the Gulf Coast south of Houston almost to Corpus Christi; north through Victoria and west close to San Antonio; extending north to Hays county near Austin. From Hays county, the District stretches east to Fayette and Colorado counties, south through Wharton county, and back to the Gulf through the lower half of Brazoria county. In all, the district encompasses more than 22,000 square miles.
Washington
203 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone Number: (202) 225-2831
Freeport, Texas
200 W. 2nd Street, Suite 210 Freeport, TX 77541 Phone Number: (979) 230-0000
Victoria, Texas
312 S. Main, Suite 228 Victoria, TX 77901 Phone Number: (361) 576-1231
External links
- Official web site of Congressman Ron Paul
- Story on Ron Paul by Fox News
- Candidates for the 14th District in Texas