Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is the Republican presidential candidate best positioned to defeat Hillary Clinton. By championing both economic and personal liberty, he inspires a conservative coalition more diverse than the group that elected Ronald Reagan.

In recent years, Democrats have implemented unsustainable big government policies and then hidden behind Republicans over expanded social programs that America simply cannot afford. For their part, Republicans failed to stand firm and defend the conservative case for more freedom and less government intrusion in our healthcare and our households. What a waste.

Too many conservatives have diluted core principles of self-reliance and local control in hopes of appealing to a broader audience. Simply put: conservatives have kowtowed to the left. That deference opened the door for the liberal promises of more free stuff that emerged victorious for President Obama in 2012.

With the liberal battle cry of “lean on the government” and no strong counter argument from the right, in the last Presidential election over 90 million disinterested citizens failed to even submit a ballot.

Americans have had it with poll-tested, over-analyzed platitudes about domestic spying, misuse of taxpayer dollars, and massive data security breaches. The problems we face as a nation cannot be addressed by politicians who sugar-coat poisoned policies and hope the public doesn’t catch on.

To win back the White House in 2016, Republicans cannot not settle for a candidate with a watered-down platform and flexible principles. Republicans must nominate a candidate capable of energizing those both inside and outside of the base.

Senator Paul has proven to be that candidate. He has excited traditional and nontraditional Republican voters alike by proposing what would be the largest tax cut in our nation’s history.

Under his plan, every single American will receive a tax cut. Our current mess of an income tax system will be replaced with a flat tax of 14.5 percent, while the payroll tax and corporate income tax will be completely eliminated. This will allow US citizens to keep thousands more in their paychecks each year—over the course of the ten years, it will amount to a six percent pay increase.

Senator Paul has also managed to unite both sides of the aisle by proposing reforms that no other conservative or liberal has dared to spearhead. He has shown leadership on critical reform issues like criminal justice; others have followed his lead.

Throughout his tenure in Congress, Rand Paul has promoted policies that will reserve our prisons for those who truly must be separated from society to keep Americans safe. This is a message that has clearly resonated with not only voters, but also a few presidential candidates – over the past few months, everyone from Jeb Bush to Hillary Clinton to Chris Christie has expressed support for his initiative on this important issue.

The Senator’s broad agenda of liberty and personal freedom makes him the only GOP candidate with enough bipartisan appeal to defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016. He currently leads Mrs. Clinton in five states won twice by President Obama – Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, while he leads her among independent voters by an eight percent margin.

In 2016, Republicans can’t afford to compromise their principles by choosing a moderate to represent their interests in the general election. But since the junior senator from Kentucky is in the race, we won’t have to. Time and again, Senator Paul has proven that a candidate who defends liberty can unify the country. Now it’s time for Republicans to recognize he’s our best hope for reclaiming the White House and our country.

Rep. Cynthia Lummis is a Republican from Wyoming