Incredible honour: After Iowa loss, Republican Rand Paul ends his presidential campaign

Washington: US Senator Rand Paul suspended his campaign to win the Republican presidential nomination Wednesday after a poor showing in Iowa. The 53-year-old Paul, who describes himself as a libertarian stressing individual rights and privacy, finished fifth in the Iowa caucuses on Monday with 4.5 percent of the vote. [caption id=“attachment_2610892” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  US Republican presidential candidate Senator Rand Paul. Reuters[/caption] “It’s been an incredible honor to run a principled campaign for the White House. Today, I will end where I began, ready and willing to fight for the cause of Liberty,” Paul said in a statement. “I will continue to carry the torch for Liberty in the United States Senate and I look forward to earning the privilege to represent the people of Kentucky for another term.” Paul and his appeals to reject American political dynasties and “to take our country back” was ultimately out-shouted by billionaire Donald Trump. The son of former Rep. Ron Paul was elected in the conservative tea party-driven wave of 2010 and disagreed often with Republican leaders. Rand Paul notably opposed the Obama administration’s use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists. Paul’s exit leaves the Republican field still crowded with 10 White House hopefuls. With inputs from agencies