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Sen. Rand Paul’s recent appearance at a Vermont GOP fundraiser has resulted in the Kentucky senator’s endorsement by three Vermont state representatives, making him the first Republican presidential hopeful to gain support from elected officials in the state.

“Rand Paul is the only Republican out there who thinks that we need to actually compete in blue states like Vermont,” said Rep. Tom Burditt, R-West Rutland, in a news release. “And he’s the only candidate who is winning support from Democrats without giving up his conservative principles.”

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Along with Burditt, Janssen Willhoit, R-St. Johnsbury, and Paul Dame, R-Essex Junction, also endorsed Paul after seeing him speak at the GOP fundraiser last week.

“I sat at a table with six high school kids who are supporting Rand Paul,” Dame said in the release. “When was the last time you saw six high school kids at a Republican fundraiser?”

In his Vermont speech, Paul placed importance on protecting the Bill of Rights, and said his stance on protecting privacy and civil liberties could cross partisan lines.

“I can get the youth to come out and say their cellphone data is theirs and the government shouldn’t be looking at it,” Paul said at the event. “I can get independents to come out and say ‘I do want a strong national defense, but I don’t want to bankrupt the country with a blank check for the military.”

It has been hard for Paul to distinguish himself in a crowded Republican primary field where Donald Trump is grabbing most of the headlines. In a new NBC/Marist poll, Paul has lost one point in New Hampshire since July, and has 4 percent of GOP support in the state.

In Iowa, numbers show that he has not moved up or down since July, and has 5 percent of support.

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