MIDWAY (Kentucky.com) — While U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is being mentioned across the nation as a possible candidate for president in 2016, he wants Kentuckians to know that he plans to seek re-election as a senator that year.
Paul, before speaking at a Woodford County Republican dinner Friday night at Midway College, told reporters that he will seek re-election to the Senate.
But that does not mean he won’t also be running for president.
Kentucky law prohibits a candidate’s name from appearing more than once on a ballot. But Paul has several options for his political future.
He has time to gauge his national support for a presidential bid before having to file on the last Tuesday in January 2016 for the U.S. Senate race that year.
He also could run for president in other states but not appear on the Kentucky ballot as a presidential candidate.
There also is talk of a possible bill in next year’s Kentucky General Assembly to change the state law so a candidate’s name could appear on a ballot more than once if he or she ran for different offices.
Paul has no problem with raising campaign funds for both races. The Federal Election Commission views no difference in raising campaign money for federal elections.
Paul is gaining momentum as a possible presidential contender.
ABC News reported Friday that Democrat Hillary Clinton leads a poll of Iowa voters’ preference for president, but Paul is her closest competitor.
Clinton would beat Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, handily, 48 to 37 percent, according to the new Quinnipiac University poll, but Paul trails her by only four points.
Jack Brammer
The Insomniac Libertarian 
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