It's not just the United States Senate that switched political parties on Election Day.

Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon and conservative phenomenon who rocketed to fame when he challenged Barack Obama at a prayer breakfast last year, also officially changed his political affiliation, moving from independent to Republican.

The step is another indication Carson may run for president in 2016.

Carson, whose career was spent as a doctor at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, filed the paperwork in his new home county of Palm Beach, Florida, a traditional Democratic Party stronghold.

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"It's truly a pragmatic move because I have to run in one party or another. If you run as an independent, you only risk splitting the electorate," Carson told the Washington Times just after making the change. "I clearly would not be welcome in the Democratic Party, and so that only leaves one party.

"Fortunately, the fit is pretty good," he added. "I believe in reasonable sized government. I believe in personal responsibility. I believe in individual freedom. And I believe in creating an environment to let free markets grow our economy. And all of that is very consistent with being a Republican."

Carson told the paper he actually grew up a Democrat, but then changed his party affiliation to Republican in the 1980s after hearing Ronald Reagan.

"Like most Democrats who were black I was told most Republicans were evil, racist people. But then I started listening to Ronald Reagan and I thought, 'God, it just makes so much sense. Let me investigate this,'" said Carson.

He switched to being an independent about 15 to 20 years ago after getting a "sour taste" watching Republicans who had their own personal foibles impeach President Clinton over an extramarital affair. "I just saw so much hypocrisy in both parties," he explained.

Carson told the Times his move now to the GOP makes sense, long before any decision next spring on a potential White House run.

"If I make the decision to run, then I clearly don't want to be backtracking and do something in a hurry. It's one of those things I wanted to be thinking about far ahead."