News : Rand Paul brings 2016 presidential campaign to Iowa

Local residents and journalists gather around Rand Paul after his speech at the American Legion.

Area citizens join the media in gathering around Rand Paul Saturday.

The first 2016 presidential candidate to visit Vinton this year came on Saturday; Kentucky Senator Rand Paul spoke to an audience of nearly 100 local residents as several photographers from a variety of media outlets stood along the walls of the Post 57 Legion Hall.

Paul, the first Republican to officially announce his candidacy, spent much of his time discussing national security. He accused his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, of "dereliction of duty," saying that as Secretary of State, Clinton had refused several pleas for protection from Ambassador Stevens in the months before Stevens was killed in the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya.

However, Paul also criticized Republicans who had supported the role of the U.S. in overthrowing Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi. He said that while Muammar el-Qaddafi was bad, those who replaced him were even worse. He cautioned that while ISIS and other groups demand U.S. action, America needs to respond with caution so that weapons we send to one group do not end up in the hands of our enemies.

Paul also stressed the need for Republicans to reach out to more people, including independents and "Reagan Democrats," while still not diluting their message.