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Rand Paul to run for both Senate and President in 2016?

Senator Rand Paul
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)

The 1st term Senator from Kentucky hasn’t yet made a decision on a possible 2016 Presidential run, but says [1] if he does it will likely be as he runs for re-election to the US Senate:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said Thursday that a state law preventing candidates from having their names appear more than once on the ballot won’t deter him from staging dual campaigns for Senate re-election and president — if he decides to run for the White House in 2016.

As for whether he’ll mount a presidential bid, that’s a weighty subject still being discussed by his family, Paul told The Associated Press.

“I would just say it’s probably not a conclusion yet, but it is something that’s an ongoing discussion,” the first-term Republican senator said.

Paul has indicated he will run for re-election to the Senate in two years. And he insisted Thursday that the Kentucky ballot law won’t be an obstacle if he decides to juggle simultaneous campaigns for the presidency and another Senate term.

“We do think about it, but ultimately it’s not something that will probably deter the process, if we make a decision,” he said.

Kentucky lawmakers considered legislation this year that would have relieved Paul from the potential quandary. The GOP-led state Senate passed a bill that would have revised the ballot law so as not to apply to candidates running for president or vice president. The measure died in the Democratic-run House.

Paul’s camp maintains that states don’t have authority to restrict ballot access for federal elections. A Republican with considerable tea party support, Paul maintains that federal law governs federal elections.

Paul kept open the possibility of mounting a court challenge, if necessary, if he decides to have his name on the Kentucky ballot for both races.

The article goes on to note that Joe Lieberman did the same thing in 2000, Joe Biden did it in 2008 and Paul Ryan did so as well in 2012, which Paul said only strengthened his argument that he, too, should be allowed to do so in Kentucky under “equal application of federal law.”

As to when he’ll make the decision as to whether or not to run, he didn’t note a specific time frame in the interview, but I suspect we’ll know by the end of the year. Hope so, anyway. The curiosity on his possible candidacy and others is starting to get to me, and I know I”m not the only one. ;)