Tea Party flexes muscle: Rand Paul wins Ky. Senate primary

The Associated Press is reporting that Rand Paul, the son of Texas Congressman Ron Paul, defeated establishment candidate Trey Grayson in the Republican primary for the open U.S. Senate held by Republican Sen. Jim Bunning.

From the wire service:

Rand Paul on Tuesday gave the tea party its first victory in a statewide election — one that could embolden the fledgling political movement in other states.

With 31 percent of precincts reporting, Paul was leading with 65,702 votes, or 59 percent, to Grayson's 40,767 votes or 37 percent.

Paul, a 47-year-old Bowling Green eye surgeon, had never before run for office and turned to the Internet fundraising model used by his father to pay for his campaign. Grayson stayed competitive drawing heavy financial support from traditional GOP donors inside Kentucky.

The Kentucky election was being watched around the country, especially after tea party activists helped to defeat three-term Sen. Bob Bennett in Utah and forced Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to abandon the GOP to make an independent run for the Senate.