Fascinating Facts About Rand Paul's Wife, Kelley Paul
She's an accomplished author.
getty Senator Rand Paul will speak during night two of the Republican National Convention on August 25 to show his support for the GOP and Donald Trump's 2020 presidential run. Although Rand Paul has been critical of some of the decisions Trump has made, he stood by his side during Trump's impeachment hearing, which probably explains why he's speaking at the RNC tonight.
Over the last few years, Rand Paul has gained attention from both sides of the aisle, mostly for being a candidate in the 2016 presidential election. He finished fifth out of 12 Republicans and eventually suspended his campaign in February of that year. But since 2011, he has served as a U.S. Senator from Kentucky, and is the son of a former U.S. House representative, Ron Paul.
Before his stint in politics, Paul studied to be an ophthalmologist and had his own clinic. He’s a self-described Constitutional conservative and supports the Tea Party. But what does his family have to say about being in the spotlight?
Who is Rand Paul’s wife, Kelley Paul?
Where is Rand Paul's wife from?
Paul was born in Russellville, Kentucky and grew up in a military family. She spent most of her early life traveling around the country and lived in Turkey for a few years as well. She is a self-described “Air Force brat.”
Where did Rand Paul's wife go to school?
She graduated from Rhodes College, a small liberal arts college in Tennessee. She studied communication and English.
How did Rand Paul and Kelley Paul meet?
In 1988, the two attended a backyard party in Atlanta, where she thought he was a teenager and not a 26-year-old doctor. Paul learned his future-wife’s phone number by heart!
“He asked for my number at that party and I remember giving it to him and he didn’t write it down, and he said, ‘Don't worry, I'll remember it.’ He called me the next day,” she recalls. Paul was in the middle of completing his surgical rotation at the time, and the two later moved to North Carolina to be together.
How long have Rand Paul and Kelley Paul been married?
After dating for two years, they tied the knot in 1990, eventually settling back in Kentucky. This coming October, they'll be celebrating their 30-year anniversary.
Who are Rand Paul and Kelley Paul's kids?
The couple has three sons: William, Duncan and Robert.
Giving an interview to WKYU in 2014, Paul discussed how her husband’s career in politics impacted their kids:
“In a lot of ways it’s been really good for them. I mean, they’ve had some really great experiences. Each one of our kids has gotten up on stage and given an introduction for their Dad and for their grandfather when he ran for President, so it’s exposed them to what’s involved in it and kind of raised their level of awareness about issues in the country, so in that way I think it’s been good for our kids...
They like to talk politics, they’re all involved at different levels. You know, my son, Duncan, he started the young Republicans club at Bowling Green High, so they’ve had a young Republicans club for the last two years that he started and my younger son, Robert, was in it. And William’s been involved with, like, Young Americans for Liberty and some of those groups on the campus of UK. It’s hard to be in our family and not be in politics a little bit.”
What does Rand Paul's wife do?
Though she has also worked as a political consultant and is involved in fundraising charities for veterans, she’s also a published author. In 2015, she published her first book, True and Constant Friends: Love and Inspiration from Our Grandmothers, Mothers, and Friends. The book focused on her friendships over the years and her family history.
Did Kelley Paul help with Rand Paul's campaign?
She ultimately decided that her husband would not run as President and instead ran for the Senate in 2009. She’s given speeches on his behalf, participated in commercials for his campaign, produced newsletters and mailings, ran payroll, and has written speeches as well. Political consultants have described her as a “very confident person, very comfortable, and she complements [Rand] well.”
Why did Kelley Paul write an open letter to Cory Booker?
The op-ed piece, published on CNN in 2018, blamed Booker for threats and protests her husband and family have been subjected to. In July, Booker urged a nonprofit group to “get up in the face of some congresspeople,” which some took literally. Kelley Paul said her husband has endured threats and violence, and their neighbor was arrested after assaulting Paul and giving him six broken ribs.
Booker’s office defended his comments, saying media outlets took it out of context. Spokesman Jeff Giertz said, “If you listen to more than a deceptively-edited 18-second clip of the speech Ms. Paul references, Senator Booker’s enduring commitment to decency is clear... Senator Booker actually says — to a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness — to ‘get up in the face of some congresspeople and tell them about common sense solutions’ that address this problem and ‘I don’t want to hate anybody, because I know the truth. To think Senator Booker is somehow urging violent confrontation with these words requires you to ignore all context.”
Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.