Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) represents the Texas 14th congressional district in the U.S. Congress. 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".
Although his economic views have earned him a reputation as a conservative, his strong criticism of the United States' intervention in Iraq and use of the war on terror to curtail civil liberties have earned him support from those on the political left.
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 Congress in 1976. In 1984, he voluntarily relinquished his seat 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 a platform of limited government, low taxes, and personal liberty, eventually placing third behind George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis.
In 1996, he was again elected to Congress. Because Texas ballot access laws prevented him from running as a Libertarian, he ran as a Republican. Knowing, of course, that he is actually a Libertarian, the Republican Party tried hard to defeat him in the primary. The Republican Party again recruited and threw its weight behind a challenger in the 1998 primary. Having failed twice to defeat Dr. Paul, the Republicans struck a deal with him: Dr. Paul votes with the Republicans on procedural matters and remains nominally Republican in exchange for the committee assignments normally due according to his seniority but is free to vote libertarian on substantive matters. This is similar to the deal that Jim Jeffords has with the Democrats.
Dr. Paul remains an active member of the Libertarian Party.
