Paul is a graduate of Seattle University and holds graduate degrees in political science from Claremont Graduate University and the London School of Economics. He came to the Center in 1998 after 12 years on the staff of the U.S. Congress, including service as Legislative Director, Chief of Staff and with the House Appropriations Committee, with a focus on budget policy and federal spending. He is the author of numerous published studies and articles, including the Washington State Piglet Book, and is editor of the Policy Guide for Washington State. He specializes in state and local tax systems, health care reform and free market economics. He is a member of the King County Citizens Election Oversight Committee, the State Commission on Tax Preferences, and the Attorney General's Eminent Domain Task Force.
He lives in Seattle with his wife Diana and their three children.