Rand Paul Endorses Presidential Hopeful Mitt Romney [VIDEO]

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has officially announced that he will be backing presidential hopeful Mitt Romney now that the nominating process is officially over and his father, Ron Paul is no longer in contention.

“My first choice had always been my father,” Paul told Fox News on Thursday. “I campaigned for him when I was 11 years old. He’s still my first pick. But now that the nominating process is over, tonight I’m happy to announce that I’m going to be supporting Gov. Mitt Romney.”

Paul believes that in the long run, Romney “can be an asset in solidifying the conservative base of the party,” and that he will campaign for the former Governor of Massachusetts.

“I also think that myself, my father and the movement that he started attracts a lot of independents,” Paul said. “A lot of these young people aren’t necessarily the conservative base.”

Rand Paul’s name has been loosely thrown around as analysts question who will accompany Romney as a running mate, however as the younger Paul continues in his political career it seems certain that he will carry on his fathers Libertarian-minded movement either way.

Romney released in statement on his website that he was “honored” to have Senator Paul’s endorsement and is looking forward to working together.

“Sen. Paul has been a leading voice in the effort to scale back the size and reach of government and promote liberty,” Romney said. “I am grateful for Sen. Paul’s support and look forward to working with him to get America back on the right track.”