Rand Paul Wins Kentucky GOP Primary

AP

Updated at 11:08 p.m. ET

In an unambiguous demonstration of the muscle of the Tea Party movement, Dr. Rand Paul has defeated Secretary of State Trey Grayson in the Kentucky GOP Senate primary, according to an estimate by the Associated Press.

With 43 percent of precincts reporting, Paul was ahead of Grayson 60 percent to 36 percent, according to the AP.

Paul called it a "tremendous mandate for the Tea Party."

"It cannot be overstated that people want something new," he said. "They don't want the same old, same old politicians, and I think they think the system is broken and needs new blood."

Grayson, the choice of much of the GOP establishment (including top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, Kentucky's senior senator), had initially been expected to win the Republican nomination fairly easily.

But Paul, an eye surgeon and the son of former Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, captured the imagination of the state's Republican base with a message of fiscal discipline.

"Neither party has controlled the debt very well and neither party has controlled spending," Paul, a political newcomer, said on CBSNews.com's "Washington Unplugged" today. "So I think the Tea Party is about bringing government back to its senses and a lot of the things we talk about are a chastisement to both parties."

Once the strength of Paul's campaign became clear, Grayson began to publicly lament his rival's "strange ideas," among them abolition of the Department of Education, Energy and Commerce. But the characterization of Paul as outside the mainstream did not stem the momentum of Paul, who drew the support of Sarah Palin and other Republicans affiliated with the Tea Party movement.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Palin told the AP that Paul's victory is a "wake up call for the country."

"This is a real time of awakening for America," she said. "We have an opportunity to not embrace the status quo but to shake things up."

Now eyes turn to the general election, where Paul will face Democrat and Attorney General Jack Conway, who won his own primary Tuesday - and who was his party's preferred candidate. Political watchers have suggested that Paul may be a less viable candidate in a general election than Grayson, a sentiment echoed tonight by Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine.

"Rand Paul's positions fail to resonate beyond the far-right Republican segment of the electorate that supported him tonight," Kaine said in a statement. "Middle-class Kentucky voters want to elect a senator with clear ideas about how to create jobs and opportunities for Kentucky families. But Rand Paul is more interested in talking about abolishing the Department of Education and disbanding the Federal Reserve than about supporting economic recovery."

Paul insists, however, that his appeal resonates across the political spectrum.

"I think the interesting thing is that a lot of the things the Tea Party talk about are very popular with Democrats and Independents. We talk about term limits... You poll a balanced budget amendment you find than an enormous amount of Independents and Democrats support term limits and balanced budget," Paul said on "Washington Unplugged." (watch in the video above)

Rand Paul to Dems: Please Bring Obama to Kentucky
Paul: Tea Party Ready to "Flex Some Muscle"

Paul is scheduled to appear at a sure-to-be-awkward unity event Saturday with McConnell, who will now try to gin up enthusiasm for a candidate he actively opposed in the Republican primary. McConnell put out a statement expressing solidarity with his party's nominee Tuesday evening.

"Dr. Paul ran an outstanding campaign which clearly struck a chord with Kentucky voters and I congratulate him on his impressive victory," he said. "Now Kentucky republicans will unite in standing against the overreaching policies of the Obama Administration. We are spiraling further into unsustainable debt and Kentucky needs Rand Paul in the U.S. Senate because he will work every day to stop this crippling agenda."

Grayson is also now pledging to rally behind Paul, the AP reports.

"We'll be standing side by side on Saturday at the unity rally," he said.

Paul's victory is the third major victory for Tea Party forces in this campaign cycle, following Sen. Bob Bennett's failure to emerge from the state GOP convention in Utah and Marco Rubio's Senate primary surge in Florida that forced Gov. Charlie Crist out of the Republican primary.

The Kentucky seat is open because Republican Sen. Jim Bunning is retiring. Bunning had endorsed Paul.

Results:

Roundup: All Winners and Losers
Specter Falls in Pa. Dem Primary to Joe Sestak
Rand Paul Wins Kentucky GOP Primary
Blanche Lincoln, Bill Halter Headed for Run-Off
Dem Wins Special Election for Murtha's Seat

Analysis:

The Surprises From Tuesday's Primaries
Specter's Loss Goes Beyond Anti-Incumbent Mood
Where do Tuesday's Winners Go from Here?
Who Had the Better Spin?

[baileyccc]

Obviously the people of Kentucky are for rising health care and no controls on Wall Street. posted by baileyccc

[christoph415]

Loves how this "every day American" who has a plan to cut expenses in government has his acceptance speech at a ritzy private country club! hmmmm.... I guess his doctor's lifestyle still exists!

[MediaMadness]

Critz Beat a Republican For Murtha's Seat, that was the Surprising Win and the Media Howls Over Rand Paul, a Libertarian Posing as a Tea Party Candidate, Reality.

Sestak Beat Specter.

Lincoln is Forced into a Run Off.

Rand Paul: A Libertarian Posing as a [Tea Party Senator] Beat a Real Republican.

Rand Paul is not a [Tea Party Candidate]..

Who will He Caucus with, the Republican Or Democrat Caucus, The Tea Party has no Caucus. Who Endorsed Paul, Republicans, whose Endorsed him, after his Win.

[Republicans]

The Tea Party, Was, Is and shall Forever be a Republican Trojan Horse.

This Year will be a Hodge Podge Of Losses On Both Sides, this will Not be [1994]

Republicans are going to be Ousted this Year as well.

John [Career Politician] McCain, will Lose to a Democrat.

Americans are Screaming For Term Limits..

The Message is Crystal Clear.

[scallywag12]

This is exactly why this country is in the state it is. The GOP vision has been on who they want for the next president instead of helping out with the one we elected just over a year ago. The GOP has a one track mind. ME ME ME....Stop being stupid and help out would you.

[TruthSeeker1982]

pub17--
The reason we don't have noticeable inflation (yet) is because China is still loaning us money, we are in a recession, and the currencies of other countries are doing even worse. This recession is going to become a depression if the government continues its policy of spending us to recovery. The government is inefficient and wasteful, does not invest wisely, and takes money away from the more productive private sector. As the government desperately spends more and more to try to end the recession that it created, it will likely create more and more money - therefore creating inflation. Also, if foreign countries raise their interest rates on the money that they are loaning us, the government will have to print money to pay them back because we are broke - also creating inflation.

[ThomasJeffersonLives]

Unless the Democrats know how to boost our economy without spending another dime, they're guaranteed to lose the majority. Sorry but it's that simple.

[TryTakingMyMoney]

Liberals, Progressives, Socialist, and Communist, do as much damage as you can while you have the time because...and you can take this to the bank...real Americans have spoken tonight and will continue until Obamy and all you zombies followers are gone.

[retm-w]

rafterman1

Your a prime example of why this country is divided. And anyone who doesn't agree with you is not a real American.

[TruthSeeker1982]

Awesome! We need more people like Rand to help restore financial responsibility in Washington. The national debt is nearly $13 trillion or nearly $42,000 per U.S citizen. Government spending is out of control and we need to stop it before the government defaults on its debt like Greece or inflates our currency to the point of being worthless.

[rdepontb]

What do people mean, "Take our country back"---back from whom, from what? From those the American people have voted into office for decades? For those who create jobs and wealth in this country?

I wish they'd--Tea Partiers, New Politic and Post-Politics types--sharpen their message, a lot, and get off of these mumbling generalizations meaning only "We want change." That's what Obama is bringing, for Pete's sake.

[jumkey]

Yeah, try to govern with your mixture or racism and hate mongering Rand.

Sorry, but you don't represent me pal.

Loser.

[Xoinx]

Without citing sources, you're just a hater yourself.