Interview: Rand Paul to open Austin office – Mike Allen …
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), heading to Texas this weekend for the South by Southwest digital-palooza, will open an Austin office for his RANDPAC political committee as part of his effort to attract tech talent and appeal to younger voters.
Paul, who also plans a Bay Area office, will speak Monday afternoon at the office opening in the Capital Factory complex. The outpost, according to RANDPAC, will center on digital engagement and product innovation.
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Paul chatted with POLITICO Playbook as he kicked off a busy four days of political travel, ahead of his expected announcement next month that hell seek the 2016 GOP nomination.
On Friday afternoon, Paul speaks on criminal-justice reform at Marylands Bowie State University, one of the nations oldest historically black colleges and universities. On Sunday evening in Austin, on the third day of South by Southwest, Paul appears with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith to discuss how technology has transformed politics, campaigning, governing and citizen engagement.
POLITICO: Why Bowie State?
PAUL: A young man wrote us, one of their students, wrote us about some of the things weve been trying to do, and so we contacted him. Ive been saying for a couple of years now that Republicans need to go where we havent been going, and we need to ask new voters to come and join us. And I think theres a great opportunity for us. Theres only upside potential for us. I think theres a lot of our message that will resonate beyond where weve tried in the past. We just have to take it there."
POLITICO: Do you get any hostility when you speak in a place like Detroit?
PAUL: Most people have actually been very friendly. The most common response I get is: Were glad youre here and were glad youre competing for our vote. Weve gone probably a couple of generations now where everyone has automatically assumed that virtually all of the African-American vote is Democrat. So Republicans dont bother to go to any venues that are predominantly African American, and then the voters get pigeonholed that way. But then they get disappointed that their Democrat representatives dont want to show up, because they take them for granted.
POLITICO: What will your message be at Bowie State?
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Interview: Rand Paul to open Austin office - Mike Allen ...