Rand Paul says hello to the Romney world
(CNN) - They may seem like a bit of an odd couple - but Sen. Rand Paul met on Friday with the man who steered fundraising for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.
Paul, the first term Republican senator from Kentucky who's seriously considering a 2016 GOP bid for the White House, is known as someone who hails from the conservative/tea party wing of the party, and who also enjoys strong support from libertarians who backed his father's three campaigns for president. And Romney, considered the GOP establishment candidate in 2012, was never truly embraced by the grassroots.
But Friday, Paul followed in the footsteps of some other possible presidential contenders in meeting with Spencer Zwick, who served as Romney's finance director, and other former Romney donors, at the Boston offices of Solamere Capital, Zwick's private-equity firm.
Following the gathering, the senator said he was pleased with his meeting with Zwick and the other donors, according to Doug Stafford, a senior Paul political adviser.
Romney's eldest son Tagg, who's a managing partner at the firm, was also expected to take part in the meeting.
The get-together comes a couple of hours before Paul crosses over the Charles River to neighboring Cambridge to addresses Harvard University's Institute of Politics.
A Republican strategist close to the Romney world said that while Paul may seem like an odd choice for Romney donors, the early battle for the 2016 GOP nomination is a wide open affair.
"Governor Romney's impressive donor network, developed over several years, is national in scope and in the market for a horse to ride in 2016. At first glance, Rand Paul may not be an obvious choice for them to rally behind, but its hard to imagine a more wide open field as we head into primary season, said the strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely.
Like Mitt, these donors are accomplished business and community leaders. They are clearly taking their due diligence very seriously, as they consider all angles in a developing field of candidates that has no clear frontrunner," the strategist said.
Paul's history with Romney may also be a factor behind Friday's meeting.
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Rand Paul says hello to the Romney world