NASHUA, N.H. (AP) – Republican Sen. Rand Paul is set to spend his first full day as a presidential candidate meeting with voters in New Hampshire.
Paul is scheduled to speak at a rally in Milford, New Hampshire, on Wednesday afternoon, one day after he announced he was in the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. As he arrived in the state late Tuesday, he made an unannounced stop for about 10 minutes at a Manchester bar that is popular among tea party activists.
During the brief stop, he walked through Murphy’s Taproom, shaking hands with voters but declining to make any formal public remarks. Those were reserved for Wednesday on the town square in Milford and were expected to echo the combative themes he hammered as he entered the race on Tuesday.
Paul, a tea party favorite, on Tuesday challenged both to Washington and his fellow Republicans to “take our country back.” In his announcement speech, he needled Republicans and Democrats alike.
“If we nominate a candidate who is simply Democrat Lite, what’s the point?” Paul asked.