Rand Paul Wins Primary, Pledges Change In Washington

Directly following his convincing victory in Kentucky’s GOP Senate primary May 18, Rand Paul declared his allegiance to the Tea Party movement and warned Washington of his impending arrival.

"We have come to take our government back," Paul announced defiantly in his victory speech. "It’s just a tremendous mandate for the Tea Party. It cannot be overstated that people want something new—they don’t want the same old politicians."

Paul, who defeated one-time Republican favorite Trey Grayson by garnering nearly 60 percent of the vote, was immediately cast as an "extreme candidate" by Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Tim Kaine.

The leader of the DNC said Paul’s positions will "fail to resonate" beyond the small, conservative part of the electorate that voted for him on Tuesday, the Associated Press (AP) reports.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who herself is a strong supporter of the Tea Party movement, told the news source that Paul’s resounding victory is a "wake-up call for the country."

In November, Paul will take on Democratic nominee Jack Conway, who is currently Kentucky’s attorney general. While Conway only won 44 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary, he garnered nearly 30,000 more votes than Paul did in his primary election.