In Tea Party Victory, Rand Paul Takes Ky. Senate Primary

WASHINGTON – Rand Paul, one of the early leaders of the Tea Party movement, won the Republican nomination for Senate from Kentucky Tuesday night, delivering a powerful blow to the party’s establishment and offering the clearest evidence yet of the strength of the anti-government sentiment simmering at the grass-roots level.

Mr. Paul, the son of Representative Ron Paul of Texas, easily defeated Trey Grayson, the Secretary of State from Kentucky. Kentucky voters turned against Mr. Grayson even though he had the support of the state’s best-known political leader – Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader.

"I have a message," Mr. Rand said, delivering a victory speech in Bowling Green. "A message from the Tea Party. A message that is loud and clear and does not mince words: We have come to take our government back."

The result appeared less a rebuke of Mr. McConnell – who by most indications remains popular in his home—than a message to the political establishment in Washington. Mr. Paul’s campaign was specifically directed against what he said were the abuses of Washington insiders in the form of excessive spending and government regulation, as he gave voice to the Tea Party movement

It remains to be seen how big a difference Tea Party support means in a general election; many Democrats, and some Republicans, believe that Mr. Paul’s views are enough out-of-the-mainstream to make him an easier target than Mr. Grayson against the Democratic nominee in the fall.

Still, it is the latest development suggesting the sway of the Tea Party movement in the Republican Party. It followed the defeat of an incumbent Republican senator, Robert Bennett of Utah, by conservative forces in that state. And it came after the recent decision by Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida to drop out of the Republican primary for Senate in the face of a surge by a Tea Party favorite, Marco Rubio.

Senator Jim DeMint, the South Carolina Republican who is chairman of the Senate Conservative Fund, an organization that has been supporting conservative candidates in Republican primaries, hailed the result as a defeat of the Washington political establishment.

"The Washington establishment threw everything they had at him and yet he prevailed,” Mr. DeMint said. “Rand’s victory is part of an American awakening that is taking place across the country as people embrace the principles of freedom that are the backbone of our country."

The early verdict in Kentucky came on one of the most active political nights since the presidential election of 2008, one that was being watched nervously in Washington signs of just how strong the anti-incumbent winds are blowing across the country.

In Pennsylvania, Senator Arlen Specter was struggling to win the Democratic nomination in his bid for a sixth term. Mr. Specter left the Republican Party a year ago to run as a Democrat – facing almost certain defeat in the Republican Senate primary – but found himself struggling to win over suspicious Democrats in the face of Rep. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Specter was one of two incumbent Democratic senators facing tough primary challenges Tuesday. The other was Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, who was facing a tough challenge from Bill Halter, the lieutenant governor, who campaigned against her from the left. argued that she had abandoned her party on many key issues. It is a three-way primary, and the winner needs to get over 50 percent.

The election came at a time of high anxiety in both parties in Congress, and these elections showed why: A strong anti-Washington sentiment that seems to be threatening the reelection of many incumbent members of Congress.

That is a major problem for Democrats fighting to control Congress at a time when polls show public support of Congress at historic lows, reflecting disapproval among many Americans over what they see as initiatives that have increased the size of government – health care – while expanding spending and the government debt.

For Republicans, this has meant a challenge from the right that has prompted public opposition this fall, that is a major problems, particularly given the evidence of voter disapproval of what many see as Democratic policies backing . Mr. Paul’s campaign had portrayed Mr. Grayson as the the very model of the country club Republican – referring to him in news releases by his full name, Charles Merwin Grayson III.

He was urged into the race by Mr. McConnell. And his election strategy relied largely on traveling the state to meet with influential local leaders – judges, hospital executives, bank presidents.

Mr. Paul, an eye doctor, favored Tea Party events outside places like Ol Harvey’s Eats in Lawrenceburg. But for its election night party, the Paul campaign chose a country club in Bowling Green.

Mr. McConnell, however, has been saying nice things about Dr. Paul in the last couple of days. And regardless of who wins, he has invited Republicans to a “unity event” at state party headquarters this Saturday, which should reveal whether or not the two sides can work together after a bitter campaign.

In Pennsylvania, one of Mr. Specter’s most prominent supporters – Gov. Ed Rendell – said in an interview before the polls that Mr. Specter’s difficulties should not be taken as evidence of any kind of a national trend, but rather of Mr. Specter’s unique challenges.

“None of these results should be taken as meaning anything,” he said. “If it’s about anything, it’s about the difficulties of party-switching.”