A Kentucky lawmaker has drafted legislation that would permit Sen. Rand Paul to run for re-election to his senate seat at the same time he pursues a bid for president.
Paul, who is clearly eyeing a 2016 presidential run, also faces a campaign for a second term in the U.S. Senate the same year.
Kentucky law currently disallows a candidate to appear on the same ballot twice.
But the Herald-Leader reports that the GOP Senate Majority Floor Leader in the state has already crafted legislation that would allow Paul to wage two simultaneous campaigns.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, has drawn up legislation — “a one-sentence clarifier” — that would ensure that Paul has no problems.
Thayer, who said he has discussed the matter with Paul only in passing, is unsure whether to introduce the legislation in the coming year or wait until 2015, when Republicans hope to have majority control of the state House for the first time since 1921.
“I would think that Democrats would want to clarify the law,” Thayer said. “They may have a situation like this. And also, why wouldn’t they want someone from Kentucky to be able to run for president, whether he or she is a Republican or a Democrat?”
Sen. Marco Rubio faces a similar potential conundrum in 2016, but Florida’s filing date is later than Kentucky, providing him a bit more wiggle room to maneuver back into the Senate race if a presidential campaign were to flame out.
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