DES MOINES, Iowa (January 15, 2013)--Ron Paul may be gone from the political stage, but his legions of followers say he’s not forgotten.

Loyal supporters of the two-time Republican presidential candidate have quietly taken over key-state GOP organizations, ensuring fights with the GOP establishment as the party tries to heal from its 2012 defeat and laying the groundwork for a future presidential candidate.

Their new relevance, especially in early caucus states Iowa and Nevada, could clear the way for such a candidate, perhaps the Texans' son, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

It's the next step in the group's ongoing development, from rambunctious malcontents of just a few years ago into more serious party activists bent on reshaping a party they say has drifted from its conservative roots.