Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is being talked about as a candidate for President in 2016, but for now he says he’s running for re-election to his Senate seat:
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Friday that he would seek reelection in 2016, even as he’s widely seen as having interest in a presidential run that year.
Paul informed reporters of his decision before a local GOP dinner, the Lexington Herald-Leaderreported.
The first-term senator did not rule out a presidential bid in 2016, but said that, for now, he is only certain about running for another Senate term.
“For now, we know for sure is we’re going to run for the U.S. Senate,” Paul said at the Woodford County, Ky., Republican Party Reagan Dinner, according toThe Daily Independent in Ashland, Ky. “The other decision can come later.”
Paul has been thought to be a surefire candidate for the GOP nomination in 2016, when President Obama will be term-limited and Republicans will be looking to recapture the White House for the first time since 2008.
Paul has done little to tamp down the speculation.
His comments Friday come after Paul has made a string of visits to early primary or caucus states this year, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
As I noted earlier this month, Paul faces something of a dilemma in that Kentucky law forbids him from both running for re-election and running for President on the same ballot and also requires him to make a decision regarding which race to pursue by some time in January 2016. Now, theoretically, Paul could chose to run for President but keep his name off the ballot in Kentucky so as to preserve his place on the ballot for re-election as a fall back position, however that would require him to pass up what would likely be an easy primary victory. Perhaps that’s why there’s some speculation that Kentucky legislators may consider changing ballot laws at their next session to allow Paul to be on the ballot for both positions. Absent that change, though, he’ll have a choice to make very early in the process.
H/T: United Liberty
