NATIONAL HARBOR, MD – MARCH 07: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) takes the stage before addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord International Hotel and Conference Center March 7, 2014 in National Harbor, Maryland. The CPAC annual meeting brings together conservative politicians, pundits and their supporters for speeches, panels and classes. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul won the 2014 CPAC Straw Poll going away, with nearly three times the support as the next runner-up.
The libertarian-leaning conservative took 31 percent of the vote with Texas Senator Ted Cruz coming in a distant second with 11 percent. Dr. Ben Carson won 9 percent of the vote, while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie took fourth place with a close 8 percent.
Rand Paul gave a fiery speech on day 2 of the 2014 CPAC conference, urging conservatives to start a “national revival of liberty,” taking a “pro-Liberty” message across the country in the upcoming campaigns.
He also weighed in on the current debate between the conservative base and the establishment Republican party, which has resulted in primary challenges of long-time incumbents.
“You might think I’m talking about electing Republicans; I’m not. “I’m talking about electing friends of liberty,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said to a packed crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.
“It’s not good enough to elect the lesser of two evils,” he added.
Though he has been reluctant to discuss the possibility publicly, Paul is a top-tier potential 2016 presidential candidate, and will return to the first in the nation primary state of New Hampshire next month.
